GIFT 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 


L.    F.    STRAUSS 


A  TALE  OF 
WEST  AND  EAST 


BY 


L.  F.  STRAUSS 


BOSTON 

THE   FOUR    SEAS    COMPANY 
1914 


Copyright,  1914,  by 

THE   FOUR    SEAS    COMPANY 

ALL     RIGHTS     RESERVED,     INCLUDING     THE     RIGHT 

OF       TRANSLATION       INTO       FOREIGN       LANGUAGES 

INCLUDING    THE    SCANDINAVIAN 


THE     FOUR     SEAS     PRESS 
SHARON,    MASS.,    U.    S.    A. 


TO 
IULIUS   STRAUSS 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

I. 

II. 
III. 
IV. 

V. 
VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 


PAGE 

FOREWORD  13 

THE  POWER  OF  MONEY  19 

SUFFERING:    THE  GATE  TO  SYMPATHY  29 

LIBERTY    ONCE    MORE  53 

A    NEW    LIFE  62 

THE    STREAM    OF    LIFE  75 

REFORM    IN    NEW    YORK  86 

JOHN    B.    MORAN  95 

A    CONSPIRACY  IO6 

A   LETTER   AND  AN    ANSWER  132 

IN    SEARCH    OF    BOSTON    CULTURE  151 

GLIMPSES    OF    BOSTON    CULTURE  170 

THE  DEBATE  AT   FANEUIL   HALL  l8o 

FIRST     EVENING    OF    THE    SYMPOSIUM  19! 


SECOND    EVENING    OF    THE    SYMPOSIUM    2o6 

221 
230 
252 

257 
265 
277 
299 
3IO 
317 
331 
346 


A  THEOSOPHICAL  CHAT 

THE  SOCIALISTIC  SIDE 

THEOSOPHICAL  CHRISTIANITY 

HEINE'S  OPPORTUNITY 

NEW  ASPECTS 

MR.  MORGAN  AND  MR.  NORRIS 

A  PICTURE  OF  NEW  YORK 

CUPID'S  VICTORIES 

NEW  ASPECTS  OF  THEOSOPHY 

GREENVALE 

QUIDQUID   EST,   BONUM    EST 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 


FOREWORD 

Go  WEST,  young  man,  go  West,  This  injunc 
tion  was  given  by  one  of  America's  greatest 
statesmen  to  the  young  men  of  his  time. 
This  advice  was  hardly  needed,  for  as  if  im 
pelled  by  a  natural  law  the  proud,  haughty 
Aryan  race  has  been  pushing  for  thousands, 
according  to  some,  for  tens  of  thousands  of 
years  in  this  direction.  How  long  ago,  at  what 
intervals,  in  what  state  of  civilization  the  suc 
cessive  migrations  took  place,  when  Celt,  Ger 
man,  Slav,  left  his  original  home  at  the  Hin- 
doo-Kush  with  his  face  ever  set  towards  the 
setting  sun,  is  even  beyond  approximate  com 
putation. 

But  the  line  of  march  was  westward.  West 
ward,  always  westward  moved  the  flag  of  em 
pire  and  of  civilization.  Toward  the  West 
went  pious  ^neas  with  his  followers  and  Rome 
the  mother  of  nations  was  born. 

From  the  Tigris  to  the  Ilissos,  from  the  Ilis- 
sos  to  the  Tiber,  hence  to  the  Rhine,  the  Dan 
ube,  the  Ebro,  the  Seine,  the  Thames;  the 
westward  course  of  history  never  changed. 
Before  the  eyes  of  Christopher  Columbus 
there  stood  a  star  invisible  on  which  were 
13 


14  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

written  in  letters  of  light  the  magic  words 
"Westward,  Westward  lies  the  destiny  of 
man." 

And  now  again  the  same  force  which  had 
drawn  Celt,  Teuton  and  Slav  from  the  Himal 
aya  to  the  Alps  asserts  itself.  At  the  Tiber,  the 
Ebro,  the  Rhine,  the  Seine  and  the  Thames  is 
heard  again  by  the  souls  of  men  the  bravest 
and  most  daring,  the  voice,  Come  West,  Come 
West.  A  siren  sent  by  the  fates  adds  her 
song,  and  sings  Gold,  Gold,  Gold.  Italy, 
France,  Holland  and  Germany  sent  a  contin 
gent  of  brave  and  fearless  men;  but  England 
surpasses  all,  she  sends  her  spirit  with  the 
best  of  her  sons,  her  laws,  her  love  for  right 
and  freedom.  Was  this1  a  payment,  by  those 
who  spin  the  threads  of  human  destiny,  for 
the  warm  life-currents  of  that  western  gulf 
that  had  for  thousands  of  years  gladdened  the 
hearts  of  the  dwellers  on  these  Isles?  Who 
knows,  who  dares  fathom  the  hidden  laws;  the 
mysterious  links  that  bind  man  to  man,  nation 
to  nation,  country  to  country! 

Soon  along  the  coast  of  the  Atlantic  the  star 
spangled  banner  proudly  waved  its  welcome 
to  the  friend  and  bade  defiance  to  the  foe. 
But  the  law  of  destiny  had  not  yet  spent  it 
self.  The  same  magnetic  current  which  had 
drawn  the  race  from  the  Oxus  to  the  Thames 
now  seizes  the  men  on  the  Hudson  and  the 
Charles.  The  sturdy  sons  of  New  England 
and  New  Holland  begin  their  toilsome  march 
westward,  ever  onward  toward  the  setting  sun. 
Obstacles  are  incentives.  Not  mountains 
cloud  cleaving,  not  forest  primeval,  not  river 
torrential,  not  prairie  wide-spreading,  puts  a 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  15 

limit  to  the  westward  march.  England,  Ger 
many,  Scandinavia  sent  once  more  their  con 
tingents  (of  their  bravest  and  their  best)  as  a 
contribution  towards  the  nucleus  of  the  new 
race,  to  be  the  guide  and  the  teacher  of  the 
nations  yet  to  come. 

Onward,  Westward  came  a  mighty  throng 
of  men.  How  Nietzsche  would  have  enjoyed 
seeing  this  host  of  super-men,  eager  for  battle 
and  for  conquest  and  never  admitting  defeat! 
Now  the  forest  primeval  resounds  with  the 
echo  of  the  wood-man's  ax;  and  the  virgin  soil 
of  beautiful  and  widespreading  valleys  receive 
and  multiply  the  seeds  of  the  husbandman.  The 
fates  sitting  on  their  thrones  celestial  watch, 
guide  and  encourage.  But  the  progress  is  slow. 
The  cradle  of  the  race  is  ready.  A  council  is 
held.  The  golden  Siren  is  sent  out.  Soon 
from  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  and  the  shores 
of  the  great  Pacific  she  sings  her  song;  sweet 
is  the  sound  that  is  wafted  from  the  wings  of 
the  western  wind,  and  enticing  are  her  words, 
Gold,  Gold,  Gold.  What  magic  lies  in  these 
words !  What  magnetism  is  in  this  yellow 
metal!  Again  a  new  and  mighty  host  rushes 
westward,  over  barren  mountains  and  track 
less  forests,  without  a  halt  or  resting  place, 
till  the  home  of  the  golden  Siren  is  reached. 
The  sweet  strain  of  her  music  never  ceases, 
but  there  are  two  verses  to  her  song,  and  the 
poet  Serviss  has  translated  these  verses  for  us. 

One  verse,  triumphant,  beginning  at  sunrise 
when  the  king  of  day  starts  his  course: 

Wild  and  wide  are  my  borders,  stern  as  death 
is  my  sway; 


1 6  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

From  my  ruthless  throne  I  have  ruled  along 

for  a  million  years  and  a  day. 
Hugging  my  mighty  treasures,  waiting  for  man 

to  come 
Till  he  swept  like  a  turbid  torrent  and  after 

him  swept  the  scum. 
This  is  the  law  of  my  realm,  and  ever  I  will 

make  it  plain. 
Send  not  your  foolish  and  feeble,  send  your 

strong  and  your  sane 
Strong   for  the  red  rage  of  battle,  sane   for  I 

harry  them  sore; 
Send  me  men  girt  for  the  combat,  men  who 

are  grit  to  the  core, 
Swift  as  the  panther  in  triumph,  fierce  as  the 

bear  in  defeat, 

Sired  of  a  bulldog  parent,  steeled  in  the  fur 
nace  heat; 
Send  me  the  best  of  your  breeding,   lend  me 

your  chosen  ones : 

Them  I  will  take  to  my  bosom,  them  will  I 
call  my  sons. 

The  other  verse,  after  sunset,  weird  and 
threatening,  when  the  goddess  of  night  is 
seated  on  her  ebon  throne : 

But    the    others,    the    misfits,    the    failures,    I 

trample  under  my  feet 
Dissolute,   damned    and    despairful,    crippled 

and  palsied  and  slain. 
Ye  would  send  spawn  of  your  gutter,  go  take 

back  your  spawn  again. 

Ye  pallid  wrecks  of  the  dead  line,  ye  enervate 
of  the  pen, 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  17 

One  by  one  I  weed  ye  out  for  all  I  seek  is  men. 
One  by  one  I  dismay  you,  fighting  you  sore 

with  my  glooms, 
One  by  one  I'll  betray  you  into  my  manifold 

dooms. 

The  fates  are  content,  the  West  has  at  last 
found  her  bridegroom,  her  lord  and  her  mas 
ter.  Now  proud  and  ambitious  men  seek  for 
gold  to  satisfy  their  passions,  their  love  for 
power.  River,  mountain  and  valley  are 
searched  in  eager  haste  for  the  metal  yellow 
or  white.  Wild  is  the  life  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  fierce  is  the  strife  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth.  Shoulder  against  shoulder,  muscle 
against  muscle,  strong  men  contend  for  lord 
ship  and  supremacy. 

But  gradually  the  scene  shifts  and  changes. 
Ambitious  and  adventurous  men  who  had 
come  to  fill  their  pockets  with  the  yellow 
metal  and  then  return  to  the  Hudson  and  the 
Charles  find  themselves  held  captives  by  fer 
tile  valleys  and  sweet  murmuring  brooks. 
They  had  come  to  ravish  and  they  stayed  to 
love.  They  sent  to  the  East  glowing  descrip 
tions  of  the  newly  found  western  paradise, 
and  they  invite  their  loved  ones,  wife  and 
children,  brother  and  sister  or  sweetheart  to 
join  them  in  a  new  home.  Soon  a  new  and 
hopeful  stream  of  men  and  women  wend  their 
way  over  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  valley  and 
across  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Then  the  Pacific  lost  the  right  to  his  peace 
ful  appellation,  as  the  star  spangled  banner 
now  carried  its  message  to  the  land  of  the  ris 
ing  sun.  New  life  sprang  up  everywhere;  on 


1 8  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

the  shore  of  the  ocean,  the  banks  of  the  river, 
in  the  valleys  of  sunshine.  The  quick  years 
wrought  many  changes.  The  wheel  of  prog 
ress  has  burst  the  shackles  of  time.  First  came 
the  huge  steam  horse  on  its  iron  rails,  then 
tiny  wires  completed  the  new  covenant 
between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  Now  huge 
gloomy  buildings,  instead  of  smiling  valleys 
serve  as  places  for  the  activity  of  man. 
Sturdy  pioneers  successful  with  pick  and  shov 
el  have  been  succeeded  by  their  sons  sitting 
in  gilded  offices,  surrounded  by  a  throng  of 
scribbling  clerks.  The  captain  of  industry 
wields  the  sceptre.  Hamlet  becomes  village, 
village  becomes  town,  town  becomes  city  in  an 
incredibly  short  span  of  time.  V 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    POWER    OF    MONEY 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  which  in  1850  was  a  sleepy 
struggling  village,  in  1900  has  become  a  mighty 
metropolis,  vying  in  splendor  with  her  proud 
est  sister  on  the  Atlantic;  and  indeed  the 
City  of  the  Golden  Gate,  the  proud  mistress  of 
the  Pacific  need  not  fear  a  comparison  with 
the  best  of  the  old  or  new  world.  Her  parks 
are  the  equal  of  the  fairest  artificial  gardens 
on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic.  Her  mansions 
on  Nob  Hill  and  the  Pacific  Heights  fully 
equal  the  palaces  on  the  Hudson,  the  Thames 
or  the  Seine. 

On  the  proud  Pacific  Heights  stands  a 
beautiful  mansion,  grander  and  more  stately 
than  any  of  its  fellows,  which  the  richest 
man  of  the  city  claims  for  his  home.  His 
wife  is  considered  the  most  beautiful  woman 
in  the  state,  and  their  two  children  would 
gratify  the  vanity  of  the  proudest  parents. 
The  owner  of  this  beautiful  mansion  is 
Theodore  V.  Lawson,  the  representative  of 
Standard  Oil  in  the  West.  His  father  had 
been  one  of  the  lucky  pioneers  who  had  come 
with  pick  and  shovel  and  had  died  leaving  his 
son  the  heir  to  a  valuable  mine.  Mr.  Lawson 
had  married  the  greatest  heiress  of  the  West. 
Success  had  attended  all  his  efforts,  and  his 
friends  sometimes  speak  of  him  as  the  Midas 
19 


2O  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

on  account  of  the  lucky  golden  touch  of  his 
hands. 

This  evening  the  windows  of  this  palace  are 
aglow  with  the  reflection  of  hundreds  of 
lights,  the  walls  reverberate  the  soft  strains  of 
insinuating  music  accompanying  the  steps  of 
dancing  men  and  women,  happy  in  the  joy  of 
living. 

The  hostess  stands  at  the  door  surveying 
the  beautiful  scene  and  looks  at  the  joyful 
faces.  A  proud,  but  slightly  disdainful  smile 
is  on  her  lips  as  she  receives  the  looks  of  hom 
age  from  the  men  and  of  admiration  mixed 
with  envy  from  the  women,  and  the  eye  that 
could  have  seen  beneath  this  outward  smile  of 
the  lips  would  have  recognized  an  aching  heart, 
a  weariness  and  a  longing  to  be  alone. 

T.  V.  Lawson,  the  host,  seemed  at  his  best 
and  was  gaiety  itself.  His  sparkling  wit 
received  the  applause  of  friends  and  the  syco 
phants  never  absent  from  the  tables  of  the  rich 
and  powerful.  A  toast  was  made  to  our  future 
senator.  Mr.  Lawson  objected  slightly,  but 
his  face  showed  a  pleased  acquiescence.  He 
seemed  content  with  himself  and  the  world, 
but  here  also  a  close  observer  could  have  seen 
reflected  in  this  proud  man's  domineering  eye 
a  furtive  look  speaking  of  a  deep  anxiety  and 
a  hidden  fear. 

After  the  last  guest  had  departed  a  heavy 
sigh  of  relief  came  from  the  lips  of  the  beauti 
ful  hostess.  The  charming  smile  which  had  so 
bewitched  her  guests,  and  which  made  them 
all  think  that  the  lot  of  Mrs.  Lawson  was  an 
enviable  one,  indeed,  faded  from  her  counten 
ance,  and  gave  place  to  an  expression  of  deep 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  21 

anxiety.  She  went  to  her  room,  sat  by  her 
favorite  window,  which  in  daytime  gave  an 
unobstructed  view  of  a  wide  and  fertile  plain, 
and  through  which  on  a  very  clear  day  the 
eye  beheld  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  alive  with 
crafts  of  the  fishermen.  She  looked  out. 
Below  her  she  could  see  the  thousand  lights 
of  the  city,  glittering  like  stars,  and  her  ear 
was  struck  with  a  low  trembling  noise,  pecu 
liar  to  the  life  of  a  large  city.  She  sat  and 
pondered.  A  heavy  feeling,  for  which  she 
could  not  account,  had  taken  possession  of  her 
being. 

It  was  not  from  her  own  inclinations  that 
she  had  become  a  leader  of  the  exclusive 
society  of  Nob  Hill,  but  to  please  her  husband. 
While  her  heart  was  not  even  ordinarily  in 
these  entertainments  and  festivities,  today  it 
was  a  positive  torture  to  wear  the  conventional 
smile,  and  repeat  the  conventional  phrases. 
Long  she  sat  and  pondered.  Her  whole  life 
seemed  to  pass  before  her  eyes.  The  sacred 
memory  of  her  mother  and  the  scenes  of  her 
childhood  came  and  floated  before  her  mind. 
Oh,  these  pictures  that  hang  on  memory's 
wall!  They  sometimes  give  us  joy,  but  how 
often  does  a  pang  of  regret,  a  hopeless  longing 
after  never  returning  scenes,  cause  the  mind 
to  wonder  at  life  and  its  strange  intricacies ! 

Reluctantly  she  retired  without  calling  her 
maid.  She  tried  to  sleep,  but  Morpheus,  the 
sweet  restorer  of  strength,  the  gracious  god  of 
oblivion  and  peace  failed  to  appear.  A  heavy 
feeling  for  which  she  could  not  account,  a  pre 
sentiment  of  evil,  and  impending  misfortune 
would  not  vanish  from  her  sub-conscious 


22  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

mind  and  soul.  It  was  late  in  the  morning 
when  she  finally  fell  into  a  restless  slumber 
from  which  she  awoke  more  wearied  than 
refreshed.  As  it  was  customary  for  the  family 
to  breakfast  together,  she  made  a  hasty  toilet 
and  repaired  to  the  dining  room.  The  children 
were  already  seated  at  the  table  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  their  parents.  They  greeted  mamma 
with  a  shout,  louder  than  papa's  presence 
would  have  permitted.  She  kissed  them  affec 
tionately  and  inquired  with  a  mother's  solici 
tude  and  understanding  into  their  little  affairs 
and  childish  troubles. 

Mr.  Lawson  came  late.  He  kissed  his  wife 
with  an  outward  show  of  affection,  which 
would  have  deceived  a  careful  observer,  but  a 
woman's  intuition  sees  deeply,  and  seldom 
errs.  The  unaccountable  uneasiness  returned 
to  Mrs.  Lawson  and  would  not  leave  her. 
Uneasy  and  distracted  she  attended  to  her 
many  duties,  as  mistress  of  a  large  household 
and  gave  directions  to  its  many  functionaries. 

Quite  unexpectedly  the  family  physician, 
Dr.  Delano,  appeared  about  noon  and  made, 
what  appeared  to  be  a  social  call.  The  same 
afternoon  an  automobile  stopped  at  the  house, 
from  which  a  very  professional  looking  indiv 
idual  alighted,  and  presented  a  note  of  intro 
duction  from  Dr.  Delano,  which  stated  that 
the  visitor  was  a  friend  who  wanted  her  pat 
ronage  for  a  philanthropic  undertaking.  This 
gentleman,  after  giving  a  vague  outline  of  his 
plans  did  his  best  to  make  himself  agreeable, 
and  his  conversation  betrayed  a  wide  range  in 
the  realm  of  literature  and  art,  but  an  indefin 
able  something  aroused  her  suspicions  and 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  23 

put  her  on  her  guard.  He  asked  some  person 
al  questions,  the  purport  of  which  seemed  to 
her  a  mystery,  and  increased  her  uneasiness 
and  secret  forebodings. 

Towards  dusk  the  family  physician  paid  a 
second  visit,  and  then  the  meaning  of  some 
strange  allusions  made  by  her  husband  was 
revealed,  also  the  purpose  of  the  visit  of  the 
philanthropic  gentleman  and  the  source  of  the 
presentiment  which  had  oppressed  her  during 
the  last  few  days.  Dr.  Delano,  after  a  few 
preliminary  remarks  about  things  in  general, 
inquired  into  the  state  of  her  health,  and  with 
seeming  special  solicitude  asked  several  ques 
tions  about  the  condition  of  her  nerves.  Mrs. 
Lawson  had  difficulty  in  assuming  an  uncon 
cerned  attitude  in  answering  his  questions.  A 
vague  fear  crept  into  her  mind  and  oppressed 
her  heart.  The  doctor  himself  seemed  embar 
rassed.  An  uneasy  guilty  expression  was 
clearly  visible  upon  his  face.  He  could  not 
look  into  her  eyes  without  a  perceptible  effort. 
He  succeeded,  however,  in  steadying  himself. 
a  determined  expression  came  over  his  face 
and  after  a  few  technical  phrases  about  the 
nervous  system,  he  went  on  to  say  that  people 
in  general  know  but  little  about  their  own  con 
dition  and  especially  about  their  nervous  sys 
tem,  and  its  possible  break-down.  Vaguely 
hinting  at  various  contingencies,  and  with 
averted  eyes  he  concluded  by  telling  her,  that 
in  her  own  interest,  as  well  as  that  of  her  hus 
band  and  children,  it  was  advisable  for  her  to 
go  for  a  few  weeks  to  his  private  sanitarium. 

When  the  full  meaning  of  Dr.  Delano's 
meaning  dawned  upon  Mrs.  Lawson  she  had 


24  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

hard  work  to  keep  her  self-control,  but  with 
great  effort  she  retained  her  composure  and 
quickly  revolved  in  her  mind  what  to  do. 
Should  she  try  persuasion,  or  rise  in  indigna 
tion  against  what  she  clearly  saw  was  a  long 
prepared  conspiracy?  She  decided  on  persua 
sion  and  with  a  voice  half  choked  with  tears 
she  said  tremulously:  "How  can  you  lend 
yourself  to  such  a  thing,  doctor?  I  always 
had  confidence  in  you,  and  Dr.  Hastings  who 
had  been  our  family  physician  for  so  many 
years  recommended  you  very  highly.  I  always 
had  implicit  trust  in  his  judgment.  Money 
is  not  everything,  Dr.  Delano,  and  it  will  not, 
cannot,  bring  happiness  to  a  guilty  con 
science." 

Dr.  Delano  at  first  tried  to  be  offended,  but 
then  a  cunning  and  determined  expression 
came  into  his  eyes,  and  slowly  and  deliberate 
ly  he  answered:  "You  see  ghosts  in  broad 
daylight,  madam;  your  nerves  are  unstrung, 
and,  therefore,  I  cannot  feel  offended  at  what 
you  say,  but  only  feel  pity  at  your  accusation. 
Your  own  words  furnish  proof  of  what  I  have 
suspected.  You  see  a  conspiracy  where  only 
love  and  solicitude  wants  to  shield  you  and 
those  who  are  dear  to  you." 

A  feeling  of  faintness  came  over  Mrs.  Law- 
son.  She  was  very  near  a  complete  break 
down,  for  she  recognized  that  her  attempt  at 
persuasion  had  been  met  and  defeated.  With 
a  strong  mental  effort  she  summoned  all  her 
courage,  and  was  surprised  at  the  firmness  of 
her  own  words :  "I  see  clearly,  doctor,  that  an 
appeal  to  your  better  self  will  not  reach  you. 
The  power  of  money  has  stifled  the  voice  of 


MRS.    LAWSON 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  25 

conscience,  so  I  will  let  you  know  that  if  you 
persist  in  carrying  out,  what  I  clearly  see  is  a 
fiendish  conspiracy,  the  motive  of  which  I  now 
divine,  you  will  be  met  with  all  the  resistance 
that  an  intelligent  woman  can  command.  I 
am  not  without  friends,  and  some  of  them  I 
feel  sure  will  stand  by  me  in  any  emergency." 
She  stood  before  him  in  all  her  dignity,  her 
graceful  and  still  girlish  figure  seemed  to 
tremble  with  righteous  indignation. 

Mrs.  Lawson  was  a  fair  type  of  the  old 
southern  aristocracy  from  which  she  was  des 
cended.  She  was  of  medium  height,  though 
she  looked  taller  than  she  was.  Her  face 
usually  so  impassive,  was  animated  with  a 
strange  determination.  Her  eyes  seemed  to 
scintillate  as  she  stood  close  before  him  and 
with  a  distinct  emphasis  on  every  word,  in  a 
voice  firm  and  determined,  said :  "You  will 
never  get  me  to  your  place  alive.  There  are 
laws  in  this  country  which  will  protect  me, 
and  I  shall  forthwith  put  this  case  into  the 
hands  of  a  competent  lawyer,  whom  I  know  I 
can  trust,  and  who  was  a  friend  of  my  father." 

A  strange  feeling,  nearly  a  regret  came  over 
Dr.  Delano  as  she  stood  before  him  in  all  her 
beauty  and  womanly  dignity,  but  he  had  already 
gone  too  far  to  retreat,  and  assuming  an  air  of 
indifference  he  said  slowly :  "The  law  will 
protect  you,  madam,  certainly.  You  need 
have  no  fear  and  if  you  wish  to  communicate 
with  your  lawyer  you  can  do  so  from  my  san 
itarium,  but  I  wish  to  inform  you  that  the  law 
has  already  spoken  and  that  for  the  protec 
tion  of  yourself  and  family,  you  have  been  en 
trusted  into  my  care." 


26  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  the  laws  allow  you 
to  place  any  one  of  your  patients  in  your 
sanitarium  without  his  or  her  consent?" 

"No  madam,  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
are  drawn  up  very  carefully  to  protect  the 
liberty  of  our  citizens.  Before  any  person 
can  be  committed  to  a  sanitarium,  sworn  de 
positions  must  be  made  by  two  reputable 
physicians  that  confinement  is  necessary  for 
the  safety  of  the  patient  and  also  for  the 
public." 

"And  have  you  already  got  another  doctor 
to  perjure  himself?" 

"Try  not  to  use  offensive  language  which 
only  indicates  the  morbid  suspicion  and  fear 
of  persecution  so  characteristic  of  a  strained 
nervous  system.  Listen  carefully  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  recognize  the  correctness  of  my 
position  and  that  all  the  requirements  of  the 
law  have  been  most  scrupulously  complied 
with.  Mr.  Lawson  and  myself  made  our  de 
positions  before  Judge  Swan  a  few  days  ago, 
and  upon  my  recommendation  the  judge  ap 
pointed  Dr.  Finerty,  our  foremost  expert  in 
psychiatry,  to  pay  you  a  visit  and  make  a 
sworn  report.  Dr.  Finerty  did  so  yesterday, 
and  upon  his  urgent  recommendation,  the 
court  advised  me  that  delay  in  placing  you 
under  proper  safeguards  might  be  attended 
with  serious  consequences.  Understand  me 
well,  madam,  it  is  to  be  for  the  time  being 
only.  You  need  have  no  fear,  the  court  will 
protect  your  interests." 

"And  did  Dr.  Finerty  without  even  seeing 
me  make  such  a  report?  I  will  not  believe  it." 

"Dr.  Finerty    did    see    and    speak    with    you 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  27 

madam,  and  without  your  knowing  it  made  a 
careful  examination  of  your  mental  state." 

"Where  and  when?"  she  asked  with  sur 
prised  eye  and  quivering  lips. 

"He  came  yesterday  bearing  a  card  of  intro 
duction  from  me." 

"Oh,  that  philanthropist  who  could  talk  so 
glibly  was  Dr.  Finerty.  Now  I  understand  my 
feelings  of  distrust  and  his  guilty  look.  The 
villain." 

"Please  be  calm,  madam,"  said  Dr.  Delano 
in  his  most  suave  voice.  "Now  you  must  ad 
mit  that  all  the  legal  requirements  have  been 
fulfilled  and  that  in  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
your  country  it  is  your  duty  to  follow  my  be 
hest  with  absolute  trust  and  confidence." 

"I  shall  not,  I  will  not  get  into  your  clutch 
es,"  she  screamed  hysterically.  She  seized  the 
little  bell  with  which  she  used  to  call  her  maid 
and  rang  it  violently.  The  door  opened,  but 
instead  of  the  submissive  maid  she  saw  two 
strong  and  coarse  looking  men. 

"Who  are  you?"  Mrs.  Lawson  cried  bewil 
dered  and  amazed. 

"Please  be  calm,  dear  madam,"  Dr.  Delano 
replied  in  their  place.  "You  see  all  contingen 
cies  have  been  provided  against  your  refusal 
to  accompany  me,  and  possible  resistance  has 
been  considered  and  all  precautions  taken. 
These  men  are  my  attendants ;  your  maids  by 
your  husband's  orders  are  informed  of  what  is 
going  on,  and  in  accordance  with  his  direc 
tions  they  are  at  present  in  another  part  of  the 
house.  These  men  are  your  servants,  but  also 
your  guards." 

The    strength    of    Mrs.    Lawson    gave    way. 


28  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Exhausted  she  fell  upon  the  floor.  Upon  a 
sign  from  the  doctor  the  two  coarse  looking 
men  picked  her  up  and  carried  her  to  a  car 
riage  that  was  waiting  outside. 


CHAPTER  II 

SUFFERING:  THE  GATE  TO  SYMPATHY 

IT  WAS  NOT  until  Mrs.  Lawson  had  been 
placed  in  a  bed  in  an  apartment  made  ready 
for  her  reception  that  she  gave  signs  of 
returning  consciousness.  Dr.  Delano  who  had 
remained  at  her  bedside  then  gave  a  light  in 
jection  of  morphine  which  caused  her  to  fall 
into  a  half  stupor  rather  than  a  natural  sleep. 
It  was  late  at  night  when  Mrs.  Lawson  became 
fully  awake.  She  had  an  instinctive  feeling 
that  something  dreadful  had  befallen  her.  She 
surveyed  her  surroundings.  The  pale  moon 
shone  peacefully  into  her  room  which  she  at 
once  recognized  was  not  her  own.  Grad 
ually,  as  the  day's  happenings  presented  them 
selves  to  her  consciousness,  a  feeling  of  horror 
swept  over  her.  She  arose,  went  to  the  win 
dow  and  looked  down,  and  found  that  she  was 
about  four  or  five  stories  from  the  ground. 
The  window  was  heavily  barred.  She  looked 
up  at  the  sky.  The  moon  was  full  and  its 
silvery  light  enabled  her  to  see  for  some  dis 
tance.  The  twinkling  stars  were  just  faintly 
discernible,  nature  had  not  changed  her  usual 
aspect. 

An  indefinable   feeling  came  over  her.     The 

balmy  air,    the    silvery    moon,  the    glimmering 

stars    seemed    to    speak    to    her    of    an    infinite 

power  behind  the  visible  universe  which  would 

29 


30  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

not  altogether  forsake  a  creature  striving  to 
follow  the  path  of  duty  and  righteousness. 
She  fell  into  a  reverie  and  from  it  into  a  rest 
less  slumber,  from  which  she  awoke  with  a 
start  and  was  surprised  to  find  herself  in  a 
chair.  She  then  went  back  to  bed  and  slept  as 
peacefully  as  a  child  till  late  in  the  morning. 

Nature  is  a  kind  mother.  When  physical 
suffering  has  reached  a  certain  intensity,  she 
bestows  unconsciousness,  so  mental  agony 
also  has  its  limits,  and  quietness  of  mind  often 
succeeds  the  most  intense  anguish  of  the  soul. 
Mental  oppression  is  caused  by  fear  and  the 
inability  to  look  ahead  and  see  a  possibility 
that  our  circumstances  may  become  brighter, 
but  when  we  reach  a  stage  at  which  we  cannot 
imagine  how  our  position  could  possibly  grow 
worse,  fear  leaves  us,  and  when  there  is  no 
guilty  conscience  to  give  reproach,  our  mind 
can  become  calm  and  serene. 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  when  Mrs.  Lawson 
awoke  fully  conscious  of  all  that  had  trans 
pired  within  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  She 
was  surprised  at  her  own  composure  and  im 
pressed  with  the  idea  that  she  had  received 
the  assistance  of  invisible  helpers,  a  silent  and 
grateful  prayer  went  up  to  the  throne  of  the 
Almighty. 

Occurrences  that  would  crush  an  ordinary 
mind  sometimes  open  vast  depths  of  thought 
in  more  highly  developed  souls.  Serenely  she 
awaited  coming  events,  resolved  to  be  watch 
ful  and  alert,  and  to  shape  her  conduct  in  ac 
cordance  with  further  developments. 

While  she  was  thus  thinking  there  was  a 
knock  at  the  door  and  after  the  customary  in- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  31 

vitation  to  enter,  a  sour  and  forbidding  look 
ing  female  appeared,  an  attendant  or  nurse, 
as  was  indicated  by  cap  and  dress,  who  asked 
for  orders  for  breakfast.  In  a  quiet  and 
friendly  voice,  just  as  if  she  were  giving 
orders  in  a  restaurant  or  hotel,  Mrs.  Lawson 
ordered  fruit,  eggs  and  milk.  It  was  soon 
served  and  to  her  own  surprise  she  ate  with  a 
healthy  appetite.  When  the  attendant  return 
ed  for  the  tray,  Mrs.  Lawson  attempted  to 
carry  on  a  friendly  conversation,  but  was  an 
swered  in  monosyllables.  She  asked  th^ 
attendant's  name  and  was  told  Mary,  but  in 
response  to  her  enquiry  for  the  surname,  she 
was  told  that  it  was  against  the  rules  for 
attendants  to  give  their  surnames  to  patients. 
Mrs.  Lawson  now  recognized  that  any  attempt 
to  make  a  confidante  of  such  a  woman  was  use 
less. 

After  the  attendant  had  gone  she  seated  her 
self  at  the  window  and  looked  out  at  the  beau 
tiful  landscape.  It  was  one  of  the  soft  winter 
mornings  so  peculiar  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  There 
was  not  a  trace  of  mist.  The  light  frosty  rime 
of  the  previous  night  was  rapidly  disappearing 
as  the  mild  rays  of  the  winter  sun  shone  on  the 
picturesque  surroundings.  From  her  early 
youth  Mrs.  Lawson  had  been  a  lover  of  nature. 
She  was  one  of  the  few  developed  souls  that 
could  fully  appreciate  natural  scenery.  But 
today  everything  seemed  to  have  an  additional 
significance,  and  while  she  thus  sat  and  looked 
out  upon  nature,  a  throng  of  confused 
thoughts  filled  her  mind,  and  a  vague,  inexpli 
cable  feeling  stirred  within  her,  enveloping 
her  soul  and  (seemingly)  expanding  her  inner 


32  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

consciousness  and  understanding  of  life. 
Napoleon  the  Great  is  credited  with  having 
said:  "Misfortune  is  the  midwife  of  genius." 
But  it  would  seem  to  be  more  correct  to  say: 
"Misfortune  is  the  mother  of  sympathy  and 
knowledge  of  self/' 

With  a  calm  mind  Mrs.  Lawson  reflected 
anew  upon  her  situation.  Her  reason  told  her 
the  very  safety  of  those  who  had  put  her  into 
this  place  required  that  she  should  never 
leave  it  alive,  or  be  allowed  to  communicate 
with  the  outside  world.  They  had  committed 
a  crime  and  were  not  likely  to  shrink  from 
committing  another,  even  greater,  to  protect 
themselves  from  the  consequence  of  the  first. 
Yet  pondering  on  this  she  was  free  from  fear, 
for  she  knew  that  woman's  wit  had  often 
before  met  and  defeated  the  infamy  of  men. 
She  looked  about  her  for  something  to  do, 
with  which  to  pass  away  the  time.  In  one  cor 
ner  of  the  room  stood  a  piano  which  till  now 
had  escaped  her  notice.  She  arose,  walked 
over  to  the  piano  and  sat  down  to  play.  As 
her  fingers  glided  over  the  keys  the  music 
deepened  the  composure  of  her  mind,  and  she 
accompanied  herself  with  a  half  suppressed 
voice  that  had  often  enchanted  a  critical  and 
select  audience.  After  playing  for  quite  a 
while  she  had  a  sensation  as  if  she  were  no 
longer  alone  and  on  looking  around  found  Dr. 
Delano  standing  behind  her.  Amazement  was 
clearly  written  upon  his  countenance.  In 
stead  of  a  tear  stained  face  and  beseeching  eye 
which  he  expected  to  meet,  he  saw  before  him 
a  woman  whose  attitude  did  not  differ  from 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  33 

that    of    any    other   lady    waiting    in    her    own 
parlor  for  guests  or  friends. 

•He  bowed  deferentially  to  which  she  replied 
with  a  slight  nod  of  her  head,  and  then  sat 
quietly  waiting  for  him  to  speak.  He  inquired 
into  the  state  of  her  health,  and  in  a  quiet 
voice  she  answered,  "I  feel  quite  well,  doctor, 
physically/'  and  with  a  significant  smile  added, 
"also  mentally."  The  doctor  seemed  embar 
rassed  and  in  order  to  conceal  it  took  one  of 
her  hands  in  his  own,  retaining  it  while  he 
spoke  of  himself  and  of  mutual  acquaintances. 
Mrs.  Lawson  listened  quite  attentively  and 
gave  occasional  short  answers.  He  continued 
to  hold  her  hand  in  a  half  caressing  manner 
which  gave  her  the  sensation  as  if  a  cater 
pillar  were  creeping  over  her  flesh,  but  she 
restrained  her  feelings.  He  pretended  to  feel 
her  pulse ;  then  his  hands  slowly  went  up  her 
arm  and  he  commented  upon  its  whiteness  and 
symmetry.  She  glanced  at  him  quickly  and 
was  fairly  startled  at  what  his  eyes  told  her; 
there  was  no  longer  any  doubt,  they  showed 
clearly  what  she  had  suspected  a  few  months 
ago  from  a  few  remarks  and  inquiring  looks  ; 
but  she  had  then  dismissed  the  suspicions 
from  her  mind.  Those  eyes  now  spoke  of  a 
wicked  passion.  Mrs.  Lawson  pretended  not 
to  understand  and  the  informal  conversation 
continued.  She  remarked  that  she  would  like 
to  have  something  with  which  to  occupy  her 
mind;  the  piano  would  be  a  comfort,  but  she 
would  also  like  to  have  books.  Dr.  Delano 
assured  her  that  all  her  wishes  in  that  direc 
tion  would  be  attended  to  immediately,  that 
there  was  a  library  in  the  sanitarium  and  that 


34  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

what  was  not  on  hand  could  be  easily 
supplied.  Mrs.  Lawson  had  always  had  a 
fancy  for  French  literature  so  she  asked  for 
some  of  the  books  of  Balzac,  Victor  Hugo  and 
Alexander  Dumas. 

Dr.  Delano  promised  to  have  the  works  of 
these  authors  transferred  to  her  apartment.  He 
asked  a  few  more  questions  about  her  wishes 
and  tastes  in  foods  and  promised  that  all  her 
desires  should  be  as  much  commands  as  if  she 
were  in  her  own  house. 

Then  he  rose  and  his  eye  sought  hers  with 
an  inquiring  look.  Mrs.  Lawson  feigned  not 
to  understand  and  with  a  graceful  smile  made 
her  bow  of  dismissal.  She  listened  to  his  re 
treating  footsteps  with  a  strange  sensation. 
Now  she  saw  clearly.  Dr.  Delano's  behaviour 
had  puzzled  her  till  now.  She  well  knew  the 
power  of  money,  and  she  could  dimly  imagine 
the  suffering  and  privation  entailed  by  the 
want  of  it,  but  Dr.  Delano  had  a  very  lucra 
tive  practice  and  money  alone  could  hardly 
have  sufficed  to  make  him  discard  professional 
honor  and  expose  himself  to  the  penalties  of 
the  law.  Her  discovery  shed  a  new  light  on 
the  whole  situation.  There  was  a  new  and 
dreadful  danger  but  also  a  new  weapon  with 
which,  by  skilful  handling  she  might  con 
found  her  foes. 

She  went  again  to  the  window  from  which 
she  could  see  the  mighty  ocean  tossing  its 
foaming  fringe  upon  the  granite  rocks.  The 
sight  of  the  sea  often  relieves  the  mind  while 
it  saddens  it.  Like  all  that  is  sublime,  it  cre 
ates  a  regretful  yearning  for  things  unknown 
and  yet  perceived  by  the  soul  from  far  off 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST.  35 

heights.  But  these  wild  and  mystic  harmonies 
are  only  for  great  spirits  and  are  deepest  when 
sorrow  fills  the  heart. 

Lost  thus  in  inward  contemplation,  the 
thought  of  her  children  shot  through  her  mind, 
accompanied  with  a  pain  at  her  heart  that 
made  her  gasp.  "My  God,"  she  exclaimed 
with  quivering  lips  and  burying  her  face  in  her 
hands  a  convulsive  sob  shook  her  whole  body. 
Her  children !  Where  were  they  now  r  What 
would  they  be  told  when  asking  for  mamma? 
What  pen  can  describe  the  feeling  of  a  mother 
bereft  of  her  children  through  villainy  and  per 
fidy?  For  several  minutes  the  tears  continued 
to  flow.  But,  Oh,  Mother  Nature,  how  kind 
are  thy  ways,  how  well  dost  thou  know  the 
needs  of  thy  children !  Tears  are  thy 
safety  valves,  by  means  of  which  the  aching 
heart  and  anguished  soul  regain  their 
equilibrium.  Gradually  she  grew  calm  and 
collected ;  an  inner  voice  seemed  to  whisper, 
"Be  strong,  be  strong.  Let  your  love  be  a 
source  of  strength,  and  not  of  weakness. 
Brood  not  over  your  sorrows !" 

After  sitting  quietly  for  a  long  time  immer 
sed  in  thought,  she  went  to  the  piano  and  be 
gan  to  play  one  of  her  favorite  pieces  by  Men- 
delsshon.  Again  the  harmony  of  sound  with 
out  brought  harmony  within,  and  she  felt  her 
self  lifted  up  as  by  the  wings  of  invisible 
forces.  While  she  was  thus  playing  the  door 
opened  and  in  came  her  attendant  bringing  a 
whole  armful  ^f  books  which  she  placed  upon 
iht  table,  then  she  asked  with  affected  submis- 
siveness  for  further  orders,  and  withdrew. 
Mrs.  Lawson  examined  the  books  and  found 


36  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

that  they  were  the  authors  indicated  by  Dr. 
Delano.  She  took  up  "Les  Miserables"  and 
glanced  at  the  pages.  The  book  seemed  fa 
miliar;  she  had  read  it  years  ago,  but  her  re 
collection  of  it  was  dim.  She  remembered  the 
high  regard  in  which  the  book  was  held  by 
some  of  her  acquaintances,  and  the  expression 
of  horror  at  it  by  some  of  her  fastidious,  aris 
tocratic  friends.  She  resolved  to  read  it  again 
carefully.  Soon  she  was  absorbed  in  its  pages, 
and  forgot  in  the  description  of  the  sufferings 
of  Valjean  her  own  misfortune.  She  read  on 
for  hours,  then  putting  the  book  down  sat 
thinking.  There  were  sufferings  besides  her 
own.  There  were  other  wrongs  inflicted  upon 
others.  "Misery  loves  company,"  that  is,  the 
sufferings  of  others  mingling  with  our  own, 
establish  a  bond  of  sympathy  that  uplifts  and 
consoles.  Her  mind  pictured  Valjean  chained 
to  the  oar  for  fourteen  years  for  stealing  a 
loaf  of  bread  to  feed  his  sister's  children. 
Continuing  the  book  she  came  to  the  scene 
where  Gavroche  meets  two  hungry  and  home 
less  waifs  in  the  streets  of  Paris,  and,  after 
feeding  them,  takes  them  to  his  place  of  abode, 
the  "Elephant,"  a  subterranean  chamber  filled 
with  rats,  and,  shutting  off  all  access  from  the 
outside  world,  says  to  the  little  ones,  "Now 
you  are.  safe."  Safe  from  what?  queried  Mrs. 
Lawson.  When  she  realized  that  Gavroche 
meant  safe  from  the  police,  the  guardians  of 
law  and  justice,  the  protectors  of  life  and 
property,  she  wondered  at  the  aim  of  Victor 
Hugo  in  picturing  such  a  scene.  Then  she  re 
membered  the  beginning  of  the  book,  the  im 
prisonment  of  Valjean  for  stealing  a  loaf  of 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  37 

bread,  and  again  the  question  came,   can  such 
things  be  true? 

She  had  been  raised  in  luxury.  The  thought 
of  want  of  food  had  never  entered  her  mind. 
The  grocers  and  bakers  were  made  happy  in 
being  allowed  to  furnish  abundance  of  every 
thing,  but  a  dim  feeling  arose  within  her  that 
all  were  not  situated  as  she  had  been,  and  she 
now  remembered  the  sight  of  ragged  children 
and  pinched  faces  while  walking  through  some 
streets  in  San  Francisco. 

By  degrees  the  meaning  and  aim  of  Victor 
Hugo  dawned  upon  her  mind.  She  recogniz 
ed  his  impeachment  of  society,  and  the  ear  of 
her  soul  heard  the  words  of  the  Lord,  "Thy 
brother's  blood  cries  unto  Me  from  the 
ground." 

She  read  till  late  that  night,  and  then  enjoy 
ed  a  peaceful  and  refreshing  sleep.  After 
breakfast,  which  was  served  as  on  the  day  be 
fore,  she  resumed  her  reading.  She  followed 
the  evolution  of  Valjean,  how  through  suffer 
ing,  persecution  and  hardships  his  soul  was 
raised  to  the  highest  pinacle  of  spiritual  great 
ness  and  to  her  mind  came  the  words  of  the 
Master,  "Through  suffering  ye  shall  enter  into 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 

Several  days  passed  by  without  her  seeing 
Dr.  Delano  and  she  wondered  what  his  next 
move  would  be.  On  the  evening  of  the  third 
day  he  announced  his  visit  through  the  attend 
ant.  Mrs.  Lawson  was  pleased  with  his  cour 
tesy,  no  matter  by  what  motive  it  was  inspired. 
When  the  doctor  appeared  he  greeted  her  with 
his  usual  cordiality,  but  his  face  wore  a  very 
serious  expression.  Mrs.  Lawson  observed 


38  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

him  closely,  and  by  a  woman'  intuition  she 
recognized  that  he  was  trying  to  play  a  part. 
Woman  is  a  born  actress,  the  average  man  can 
only  become  an  actor  by  long  training.  He 
seated  himself  in  a  chair  in  front  of  her,  took 
hold  of  her  hand  in  a  half  caressing  manner, 
and  then  with  what  seemed  to  her  an  in 
tentionally  troubled  look,  he  said,  with  a  sad 
face  and  in  a  low  voice :  "We  might  as  well  stop 
playing  comedy  to  each  other.  I  have  come  to 
tell  you  that  I  accepted  your  husband's  pro 
positions,  not  for  money,  but  because  I  love 
you.  Be  mine,  and  everything  will  be  arrang 
ed  satisfactorily." 

Mrs.  Lawson  was  nearly  overwhelmed  with 
indignation.  A  feeling  of  resentment  nearly 
made  her  say  some  very  ugly  words,  but  the 
thought  of  her  children  and  her  own  safety 
advised  caution. 

"You  are  using  a  strange  way,  indeed,  doc 
tor,  to  show  your  love." 

"It  was  the  only  one  I  could  see  would  lead 
to  the  goal,"  he  said,  with  brutal  frankness. 
He  tried  to  draw  her  towards  him.  She  re 
sisted  firmly,  but  without  allowing  her  feeling 
of  repugnance  to  become  too  clearly  apparent. 

"I  am  tired,  very  tired,  and  need  a  rest,"  she 
said  wearily. 

"All  right,"  he  replied,  "I  will  go  now,  but 
think  it  over;  and  make  me  the  happiest  of 
mortals  and  I  shall  in  turn  show  myself 
grateful." 

That  night  she  retired,  feeling  deeply  deH 
pressed,  and  even  sleep,  the  consoler  of  the 
unfortunate,  showed  his  most  ungracious 
face;  all  kinds  of  fantastic  shapes  seemed  to 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  39 

hover  over  her.  In  her  dream  she  tried  to 
ward  off  an  attack  by  Dr.  Delano.  She  cried 
for  help  and  was  awakened  by  her  own  voice. 
Her  whole  body  trembled,  on  her  forehead  she 
felt  cold  moisture.  For  hours  she  lay  sleep 
less,  a  prey  to  fear  and  wild  imaginings.  Half 
dreaming  and  half  awake  she  heard  her  child 
ren  cry  for  mama,  and  saw  them  maltreated 
by  their  attendants.  With  a  strong  effort  she 
roused  herself  and  tried  to  direct  her  imagina 
tion  to  impersonal  subjects,  but  was  only  par 
tially  successful. 

The  break  of  day  found  her  with  nerves  un 
strung  and  a  violent  headache.  She  arose  and 
went  to  the  window,  hoping  that  the  rising  sun 
and  the  beautiful  landscape  would  assist  in 
quieting  the  turmoil  of  her  mind.  An  instinc 
tive  feeling  seemed  to  tell  her  that  her  physical 
and  mental  health,  her  chance  of  freedom, 
and  the  welfare  of  her  children  demanded 
that  she  should  retain  the  mastery  over  her 
thoughts.  Again  it  was  as  if  she  heard  the 
silent  voice :  "Do  not  brood  over  your  mis 
fortunes;  you  are  not  alone  in  your  suffering." 
Sorrow  turns  the  heart  to  God.  She  prayed, 
and  in  her  mind's  eye  she  saw  the  Man  of  Sor 
rows  praying  for  succor  in  the  garden  of  Geth- 
semane. 

Like  that  of  many  others,  her  religion  had 
been  a  conventional  one.  She  had  gone  to 
church  as  a  matter  of  custom,  many  times  had 
she  listened  to  eloquent  preachers  dilating  with 
a  cold  unctuous  voice  upon  the  sufferings 
of  the  Saviour,  many  times  had  she  listened 
to  the  passion  of  the  Christ;  it  had  sounded  to 
her  like  an  old  story  long  past  and  happening 


40  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

in  a  vague  and  far  off  country;  but  now  she 
felt  the  Man  of  Sorrows  becoming  a  reality, 
and  like  a  revelation  it  came  to  her,  that  only 
suffering  can  make  us  understand,  and  sym 
pathize  with  suffering.  She  felt  herself  drawn 
closer  to  her  fellow  men.  She  recognized  her 
self  as  a  part  of  creation  carried  forward  as  in 
a  mighty  current  to  a  higher  destination. 

Again  a  deep  calm  succeeded  her  violent 
emotion,  and  she  made  a  firm  resolution  to 
meet  bravely  all  contingencies  and  to  drink 
with  unconquered  mind  whatever  the  cup  of 
fate  might  bring  to  her  lips. 

Her  bodily  comforts  were  provided  for.  A 
bath  room  joined  her  chamber  and  the  cold 
water  soon  restored  to  her  body  the  freshness 
and  vigor  of  youth.  She  also  found  that  nearly 
all  her  wardrobe  had  been  transferred  to  her 
new  domicile  and  she  made  as  careful  a  toilet 
as  if  she  were  in  her  own  home.  The  same 
maid,  or  attendant,  brought  breakfast,  and 
after  asking  for  her  wishes  informed  her  that 
the  doctor  would  not  call  that  day,  as  he  was 
called  away,  but  would  return  in  the  evening 
and  would  come  to  see  her  should  she  wish  it. 
Mrs.  Lawson  asked  her  to  thank  the  doctor  for 
his  kind  solicitude. 

After  breakfast,  she  returned  to  her  book 
"Les  Miserables,"  and  found  herself  absorbed 
in  the  fortunes  of  Marius  and  Cosette  joined 
to  those  of  Valjean.  She  spent  the  whole  day 
reading,  now  and  then  going  to  the  window, 
her  inner  thoughts  blending  with  suggestions 
from  without.  Now  she  saw  clearly  the  aim 
of  Hugo.  She  saw  a  soul  becoming  great  and 
glorious  through  suffering. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  41 

That  night  she  enjoyed  a  dreamless,  peace 
ful  sleep,  and  woke  with  a  half  curious  interest 
in  what  would  happen,  as  if  it  were  to  another 
person. 

Strange  ways  of  nature.  She  nearly  felt  as 
if  she  were  not  herself,  as  if  it  were  not  her 
own  fate  that  hung  in  the  balance,  but  more 
like  the  reader  of  a  book  who  wonders  what 
will  happen  to  the  various  characters  portray 
ed.  Mary,  when  bringing  breakfast  announc 
ed  that  the  doctor  would  come  to  see  her  that 
morning.  She  was  reading  her  book  by  the 
window  when  he  entered,  and  she  greeted  him 
with  the  smile  of  a  society  lady  receiving  an 
expected  visitor.  After  inquiring  about  her 
health,  he  suggested  a  walk  to  the  garden,  to 
which  she  assented.  Together  they  walked 
through  the  windings  of  the  garden,  speaking 
of  flowers,  of  literature  and  of  art,  and  after 
wards  indulging  in  the  light  gossip  of  society. 
On  their  way  back  she  asked  if  she  could  have 
the  privilege  of  the  garden.  Dr.  Delano  seem 
ed  embarrassed  and  hesitated  to  answer,  but 
finally  said,  "Whenever  I  am  here  and  can  en 
joy  your  company."  Mrs.  Lawson  answered 
nothing.  They  reached  her  room  in  silence 
and  the  doctor  took  his  leave.  Not  a  sugges 
tion  of  future  intentions  had  come  from  his 
lips  and  she  recognized  that  he  was  playing  a 
waiting  game. 

The  rest  of  the  week  was  passed  without  any 
special  incidents.  After  finishing  "Les  Mis- 
erables"  she  commenced  some  books  by 
Dumas,  but  could  not  get  interested.  The 
characters  seemed  to  lack  something.  She  felt 
that  the  things  pictured  were  not  real,  that  the 


42  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

deeds  and  sentiments  expressed  were  not  such 
as  could  be  expected  from  actual  living  beings. 
She  discarded  Dumas  and  took  Balzac.  Start 
ing  with  "Pere  Goriot"  she  read  in  succession, 
"Cousin  Bett,"  and  "Caesar  Birotteau." 

When  "La  Commedie  Humaine"  dawned 
upon  her  with  all  its  grandeur,  the  world  was 
seen  in  a  new  light.  She  herself  grew  intellect 
ually  and  spiritually  and  the  thought  came  to 
her,  that  if  she  could  only  secure  freedom  this 
experience  in  the  sanitarium  or  rather  prison 
would  have  served  a  useful  purpose. 

When  on  the  fourth  day  of  her  incarceration, 
the  doctor,  on  one  of  his  visits,  said  that  he  had 
waited  for  an  invitation  to  walk  in  the  garden, 
she  replied  that  she  did  not  like  to  impose 
upon  his  time  but  would  accompany  him  now 
if  he  wished  it.  He  seemed  pleased  and  together 
they  left  the  room.  On  their  way  while  pass 
ing  through  what  seemed  a  reception  room, 
the  doctor  put  his  arm  around  her  waist  and 
tried  to  embrace  her.  She  repulsed  him  gent 
ly  but  firmly,  and  there  was  in  her  eyes  some 
thing  which  made  him  desist  without  much 
exertion.  When  they  reached  the  garden  they 
conversed  again  on  different  subjects.  She 
looked  around  for  possible  contingencies  or 
means  of  communication.  At  the  other  end  of 
the  garden  which  the  doctor  never  aproach- 
ed,  some  men  were  busy  hoeing  and  weeding, 
but  they  seemed  completely  engrossed  in  their 
work.  After  walking  for  about  an  hour  he 
accompanied  her  back  to  her  room  and  depart 
ed. 

She  went  to  her  window  and  became  very 
thoughtful.  Over  a  week  had  now  passed 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  43 

without  a  notice  or  a  sign  from  the  great 
world  without.  How  long  would  this  last?  A 
vague  fear  made  her  tremble.  A  yawning 
abyss  seemed  to  engulf  her,  but  like  a  flash  an 
illuminating  thought  lifted  her  up.  Her  inner 
voice  seemed  to  say,  "Trust,  have  faith." 
Resuming  her  reading  her  eyes  sometimes 
wandered  from  the  book  to  the  garden,  in  a 
vague  hope  for  a  possible  something  that 
might  be  utilized  in  an  attempt  for  freedom, 
but  thus  far  not  a  person  had  come  near 
enough  to  her  window  to  be  within  the  reach 
of  her  voice.  It  was,  therefore,  a  surprise  to 
her,  when  toward  dusk  she  saw  a  man  walking 
towards  her  part  of  the  building.  Several 
times  he  looked  around,  as  it  seemed  to  her, 
in  a  furtive  manner.  Now  he  was  under  her 
window,  and  looked  up,  and  with  a  shock  she 
recognized  the  face  of  one  of  the  coarse  look 
ing  men  that  stood  outside  the  door  on  the 
fatal  day  of  her  imprisonment.  What  could 
he  want?  She  overcame  her  emotion  and  was 
just  going  to  say  something  when  he  put  his 
fingers  to  his  lips  as  a  sign  to  keep  silent.  All 
at  once  something  seemed  to  rouse  his  atten 
tion.  He  went  further  away  into  the  garden 
and  failed  to  again  appear. 

But  the  incident  threw  Mrs.  Lawson  into  a 
violent  state  of  excitement.  The  man  wanted 
something.  This  something  she  could  not  im 
agine,  but  she  felt  that  it  was  in  opposition  to 
the  wishes  of  the  doctor.  The  man  had  done 
something  contrary  to  received  instructions. 
He  had  most  likely  risked  his  position.  Did  he 
have  some  suspicions  of  the  true  state  of 
affairs?  Did  he  know  that  she  was  confined 


44  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

unlawfully?  The  incident  revived  her  droop 
ing  spirits,  and  she  felt  somehow  that  her  im 
prisonment  would  not  be  of  long  duration. 
Her  mind  filled  with  a  new  hope,  she  returned 
to  her  piano  and  her  books. 

The  next  day  she  hardly  left  the  window, 
hoping  for  a  glimpse  of  this  coarse  looking 
fellow.  Never  did  a  love  sick  maiden  look  with 
eyes  more  hungry  for  the  appearance  of  her 
lover;  but  her  waiting  was  in  vain.  The  part 
of  the  garden  near  her  window  remained  de 
serted.  At  the  other  end  some  men  were  work 
ing,  and  she  thought  she  saw  that  the  face 
of  one  was  sometimes  turned  towards  her 
window,  as  if  looking  for  something,  but  the 
distance  was  too  great  to  recognize  anything 
distinctly. 

Gradually  the  suspense  between  hope  and 
fear  made  itself  felt,  an  agitation  which  she 
could  not  shake  off  took  a  stronger  and  strong 
er  hold.  She  feared  an  attack  of  hysteiria,  and 
summoned  all  her  energy  in  an  effort  to  re 
cover  her  tranquility,  and  quiet  her  agitated 
nerves.  Should  she  offer  subsequently  an  ex 
cuse  to  her  enemies  for  her  imprisonment !  But 
the  more  she  tried  to  be  calm;,  the  greater 
became  her  agitation.  Her  body  began  to 
tremble  and  in  a  fit  of  despair  she  fell  on  her 
knees  and  from  quivering  lips  came  the  words, 
"Oh,  God  help  me !  Oh,  God  help  me !" 

She  remained  for  several  minutes  in  silent 
prayer,  and  gradually  her  agitation  became 
less,  her  mind  regained  its  equilibrium.  The 
materialist  might  deny  the  power  of  prayer, 
but  there  is  often  in  prayer  a  palpable  feeling 
of  nearness  and  at-one-ness  with  the  source  of 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  45 

absolute  power  that  imparts  strength  to  body 
and  mind. 

That  night  she  sat  for  a  long  time  at  the 
window  watching  moon  and  stars.  Her  mind 
became  so  calm  and  peaceful  that  she  became 
frightened  about  herself,  that  although  incar 
cerated  in  what  people  call  a  mad  house,  sh'> 
could  experience  such  a  feeling  of  content 
ment.  Was  this  a  natural  and  normal  condi 
tion?  she  asked  herself.  She  became  thought 
ful.  In  the  books  she  had  read  how  through 
a  long  period  of  confinement  people  had  lost 
their  reason.  She  shuddered,  then  again 
sought  refuge  in  a  long  and  silent  prayer. 

The  next  day  when  her  mind  reverted  to  her 
books  she  decided  to  vary  her  diet  of  read 
ing,  arid  try  some  of  our  own  authors.  In  a 
conversation  some  years  ago  an  acquaintance 
had  spoken  in  words  of  admiration  of  a  rising 
author  named  Jack  London.  Another  had 
strongly  dissented  and  called  the  author  an 
agitator  and  an  anarchist.  Resolving  to  judge 
this  author  for  herself  she  rang  for  her  maid 
and  asked  for  some  of  London's  books.  The 
woman  soon  returned  with  the  information 
that  there  were  none  in  the  library,  but  that  a 
special  messenger  had  been  sent  to  the  city  to 
fetch  them.  A  few  hours  later  she  came  in 
with  three  books,  "The  People  of  the  Abyss", 
"The  Call  of  the  Wild"  and  "The  Iron  Heel." 

Mrs.  Lawson  decided  to  read  "The  People 
of  the  Abyss,"  and  soon  became  deeply  absorb 
ed,  but  not  without  keeping  her  eye  on  the  gar 
den  watching  for  the  reappearance  of  her 
coarse  visitor.  This  time  she  was  not  to  be 
disappointed.  A  man  came  from  the  other 


46  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

end  of  the  garden  in  search  of  something,  but 
his  movements  had  a  certain  furtiveness  and 
betrayed  an  apprehension  which  plainly  show 
ed  that  he  felt  himself  walking  on  a  forbidden 
path.  When  he  came  near  the  window  he  look 
ed  up.  Oh  horrors !  What  did  she  read  in  his 
eyes !  A  leer  which  to  a  woman  of  refinement 
and  modesty  is  worse  than  a  blow  met  her  eyes 
that  were  looking  for  a  friend.  Hastily  she 
withdrew  from  the  window,  threw  herself  on 
her  couch  and  wept  long  and  bitterly.  She  felt 
as  if  she  had  been  defiled.  What  man  can  under 
stand  the  feeling  of  a  virtuous  woman? 

When  she  had  become  calm  she  revolved 
the  incident  in  her  mind.  Had  she  acted  wise 
ly  to  let  her  feelings  overcome  her?  Might 
the  man  not  have  been  used  as  a  tool,  as  an  in 
strument  to  gain  her  freedom?  Men  are  vul 
gar  and  gross.  Working  people  might  act 
differently  from  those  with  whom  she  had  been 
accustomed  to  associate,  but  she  felt  that  a 
woman's  wit  had  resources  more  than  a  match 
for  men's  vile  and  brutal  desires,  and  she  re 
solved  to  take  the  risk  and  appear  friendly  on 
his  next  visit. 

The  next  day  and  the  following  day  she  sat 
by  her  window,  and  at  dusk  she  nearly  strain 
ed  her  eyes  watching  and  waiting,  but  no  one 
appeared.  Had  she  driven  him  away  forever? 
The  next  day  she  thought  she  recognized  him 
in  the  group  of  men  engaged  in  watering 
flowers.  If  she  could  only  get  to  that  part  of 
the  garden!  The  doctor's  invitation  occurred 
to  her;  she  shrank  from  his  society  and  had  to 
fight  for  several  minutes  against  her  repug 
nance  against  voluntarily  seeking  his  company, 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  47 

but  a  vague  hope  of  a  possible  chance  for  free 
dom/  helped  her  to  overcome  her  feelings.  She 
felt  herself  engaged  in  a  battle  of  wits  and 
wiles,  and  remembered  the  statement,  that  "in 
war  all  means  are  justified."  She  summoned 
her  "maid"  and  commissioned  her  to  ask  Dr. 
Delano  to  accompany  her  for  a  walk  in  the 
garden!  Soon  the  doctor  appeared.  His  face 
bore  a  triumphant  smile  which  nearly  caused 
her  to  regret  her  summons.  He  offered  her  his 
arm  but  she  declined  saying,  with  a  bitter  smile, 
"I  had  rather  be  completely  free  for  this  short 
walk."  Again  while  passing  through  the 
room,  which  the  doctor  must  have  known  was 
free  from  observation,  he  tried  to  embrace  her, 
and  in  a  voice  deep  with  suppressed  passion 
and  heavy  breathing  he  said,  "I  love  you,"  and 
tried  to  force  a  kiss  from  her  unwilling  and 
quivering  lips.  "Be  a  gentleman,  doctor,"  she 
cried,  as  with  an  effort  she  disengaged  herself. 
Her  eyes  flashed,  her  bosom  heaved,  and  soon 
she  sobbed  bitterly.  He  scowled.  His  face 
wore  a  wicked  expression.  Soon  she 

stopped  weeping  in  remembrance  of  her  pur 
pose,  and,  succeeding  in  forcing  a  smile,  asked 
if  he  were  going  to  take  her  to  the  garden.  He 
seemed  pleased  and  the  triumphant  smile  re 
appeared.  They  went  to  the  garden  talking 
pleasantly  of  friends  and  acquaintances  for 
whom  Mrs.  Lawson  made  inquiries.  Without 
the  doctor's  perceiving  it,  she  led  him  towards 
the  place  where  "her  man"  was  working  and 
passed  him  at  not  a  great  distance.  Dr.  Del 
ano  refused  to  be  led  nearer.  She  caught  the 
man's  eye  and  smiled.  A  woman's  smile ! 
What  can  she  not  say  with  this  wireless  means 


48  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

of  communication.  The  man  seemed  startled, 
his  face  reddened,  his  eye  beamed  with  satis 
faction,  but  he  kept  on  working  as  if  nothing 
had  happened. 

While  this  ocular  correspondence  was  going 
on,  Mrs.  Lawson  kept  the  doctor  engaged  in  a 
pleasant  conversation,  even  allowing  him  to 
seize  and  hold  her  hand.  Her  purpose  achiev 
ed,  she  complained  of  being  tired.  He  led  her 
back,  and  again  made  an  attempt  to  embrace 
her,  but  she  held  him  at  bay,  without  allowing 
her  feeling  of  repugnance  to  become  too 
strongly  apparent.  She  was  willing  to  have 
him  beguile  himself  with  a  vague  hope. 

Jack  London's  book  proved  to  be  very  inter 
esting.  "The  People  of  the  Abyss"  made  her 
shudder.  Could  such  things  really  be  true? 
Hugo  had  pictured  the  misery  and  wretched 
ness  of  a  few,  but  Jack  London  put  millions  of 
human  beings  into  places  and  conditions  of 
suffering  from  which  Dante's  "Inferno"  might 
prove  a  welcome  haven  of  relief.  "The  Iron 
Heel"  was  a  puzzle.  She  read  of  upheavals 
and  revolts  against  the  established  government 
of  the  United  States. 

She  heard  of  an  organization  preparing  even 
now  to  overthrow,  what  she  had  been  led  to 
believe,  was  the  best  government  on  earth. 
But  she  realized  more  and  more  that  there 
were  many  things  of  which  she  had  never 
dreamed  before,  that  wrongs  and  oppressions 
and  injustices  of  all  kinds  abounded  in  this 
beautiful  world  of  ours,  and  she  made  a 
solemn  vow  that  as  soon  as  she  had  regained 
her  freedom  she  would  devote  her  life  and  her 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  49 

resources  to  the  redress  of  sufferings  and 
social  injustices. 

Towards  dusk  she  was  pleased  to  notice 
that  "her  man"  approached  her  side  of  the 
garden  as  if  in  search  of  something.  When 
under  her  window  he  raised  his  eyes  with  a 
long  and  inquiring  look.  She  shuddered  in 
wardly  but  her  eyes  said  yes,  and  he  withdrew 
without  looking  back.  What  would  he  do? 
She  understood  his  meaning,,  but  what  chance 
was  there  of  accomplishment  ?  Relying  upon 
woman's  superiority  she  was  willing  to  have 
him  entertain  a  false  hope. 

She  retired  at  the  usual  hour.  A  light  noise 
as  if  something  had  fallen  against  the  window 
roused  her  from  her  sleep.  She  arose  and  look 
ed  out.  The  night  was  dark,  but  she  thought 
she  saw  something  moving  on  the  ground.  A 
figure  below  then  threw  up  something  which 
caught  in  one  of  the  iron  bars  of  the  window. 
It  was  a  hook  with  a  rope  attached.  Some 
body  pulled  below  as  if  to  test  the  power  of 
resistance  of  rope,  hook  and  bar.  Mrs.  Law- 
son  trembled  violently.  What  would  happen 
next?  After  a  few  minutes  a  head  and  then  a 
man  was  on  the  outside  of  the  window.  With 
one  hand  he  clutched  the  rope,  with  the  other 
he  took  from  his  pocket  a  small  chisel  with 
which  some  of  the  bars  were  soon  loosened  and 
the  man  stepped  into  the  room.  Mrs.  Lawson's 
heart  was  beating  violently.  As  soon  as  the 
man  was  in  the  room  he  said  with  a  heavy 
suppressed  voice,  "Hello,  dearie!  Not  many  a 
sailor  could  have  done  such  a  trick."  The 
night  was  so  dark  they  could  hardly  see  each 
other.  He  tried  to  take  her  in  his  arms.  She 


50  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

shuddered,  then  threw  herself  at  his  feet  and 
with  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion  she  said, 
"Be  a  man,  think  of  your  mother,  think  of 
yourself:  be  honorable,  do  a  just  and  brave 
deed  and  you  shall  be  a  rich  man."  The  man 
seemed  dumfounded,  then  he  said  in  a  disap 
pointed  but  not  savage  voice;  "So  you  just 
fooled  me;  the  fool  fooled  the  wise  guy." 

"I  am  not  a  fool,  man;  I  am  put  into  this 
place  unjustly.  My  husband  wants  another 
woman,  and  the  doctor  wants  money,  the 
same  as  you  do." 

"What,  that  sanctimonious  guy?  I  always 
thought  he  was  a  hypocrite.  What  can  I  do 
for  you,  woman?  Do  you  want  to  run  away? 
All  right,  come  down  on  the  rope.  But  you 
would  have  to  climb  a  pretty  steep  wall,  and  a 
watch  dog  inside  and  outside  would  soon  give 
alarm  unless  I  first  killed  them,  which  is  not 
easy." 

"I  do  not  want  to  do  this,  only  as  a  last 
resort.  All  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  mail  for  me 
a  letter."  Oh,  why  had  she  not  written  the 
letter  she  intended  to  send  to  Morgan?  She 
had  thought  of  doing  so,  but  feared  that  the 
letter  might  be  detected.  "Will  you  do  this?" 
she  asked. 

"I  certainly  will.  I  cannot  lose  more  than 
my  position  and  I  am  half  tired  of  this  job 
anyhow." 

"I  haven't  the  letter  ready  and  I  fear  to 
make  a  light.  Could  you  come  for  the  letter, 
which  I  would  throw  out  of  the  window  to 
morrow  as  you  did  before  to  let  me  know 
that  you  adhered  to  your  promise?" 

"Risky  business,"    he    answered,    "for    since 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  51 

you  came  here  this  part  of  the  garden  has  been 
closely  watched,  and  no  work  has  been  done 
since.  I  could  only  come  here  because  I  had 
seen  Grumpey,  the  overseer,  with  one  of  the 
attendants,  to  whom  he  is  sweet.  We  others 
never  squeal  on  each  other.  If  I  were  caught 
here  I  would  lose  nty  job.  I  would  not  care 
for  that,  but  then  I  would  not  be  able  to 
deliver  your  letter." 

"Don't  come  then.  I  will  drop  the  letter 
tomorrow  night/' 

"I  think  the  moon  will  set  about  two  in  the 
morning.  When  I  come  I  will  make  a  noise 
like  an  owl  to  let  you  know  I  am  here." 

"Your  reward  will  be  $10,000." 

"Good!"  he  exclaimed.     "You  mean  it?" 

"I  do,"  she  answered. 

"Put  the  bars  back  carefully  when  I  am 
gone,"  he  advised  as  he  seized  the  rope  pre 
paring  to  go  as  he  had  come. 

For  the  rest  of  the  night  she  sat  thinking 
over  her  letter  to  Morgan.  Her  imagination 
followed  the  course  of  the  letter  to  its  destina 
tion.  In  her  mind's  eye  she  saw  the  look  of 
amazement,  of  indignation  and  of  rage  spread 
ing  over  the  impassive  face  of  her  lawyer 
while  reading  the  story  of  her  imprisonment. 

At  the  dawn  of  day,  as  soon  as  the  light 
allowed  her  to  see,  she  commenced  her  letter. 
She  told  of  the  hints  given  by  some  of  her 
friends,  of,  what  they  considered,  too  friendly 
relations  between  Mr.  Lawson  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  Eliot  and  how  she  had  refused  to 
give  credence  to  these  rumors.  Then  she  gave 
an  outline  of  the  plot  by  which  she  had  been 
brought  to  the  sanitarium,  of  Dr.  Delano's 


52  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

conduct,  and  of  the  means  employed  to  send 
him  this  letter.  In  closing  she  asked  that  if 
possible  publicity  should  be  avoided  for  the 
sake  of  the  father  of  her  children.  She  con 
cealed  the  letter  carefully  on  her  body  and 
then  tried  to  continue  the  reading  of  her  book, 
but  could  no  longer  get  interested.  Her  mind 
continued  to  revert  to  the  possibilities  of  her 
own  life  and  her  plans  for  the  future.  She  re 
cognized  that  she  would  never  again  be  what 
she  had  been,  that  her  life  as  a  society  leader 
was  passed. 

That  night  she  sat  watching  the  moon  as  it 
slowly  wended  its  way  over  Capricorn  and 
Libra  to  take  its  dip  in  the  great  Pacific,  when 
the  deep  silence  of  the  midnight  air  was 
broken  by  a  light  noise  which  sounded  like  the 
cry  of  an  owl.  A  hardly  audible  noise  like  that 
of  a  paper  striking  the  ground  was  next  heard 
and  then  again  the  deep  silence  of  the  dark 
night  reigned  supreme. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LIBERTY  ONCE  MORE 

The  disappearance  of  Mrs.  Lawson  created 
quite  a  stir  in  the  aristocratic  section  of  the 
city  of  the  Golden  Gate.  At  first  all  kinds  of 
rumors  were  afloat,  which  finally  crystallized 
into  the  accepted  belief  that  the  nervous  sys 
tem  of  Mrs.  Lawson  had  suffered  a  complete 
break-down  and  that  at  times  she  had  to  be 
guarded  carefully  to  prevent  her  from  doing 
harm  to  herself  and  others. 

Friendship  among  men  is  rare,  but  among 
women  it  is  rarer  still.  The  leading  position 
which  Mrs.  Lawson  had  acquired  had  aroused 
the  envy  of  many  a  jealous  rival,  but  the  gen 
erosity  and  broad  sympathy  of  Mrs.  Lawson 
had  disarmed  hostility,  and  there  seemed  to  be 
a  tacit  •  agreement  among  various  aspirants 
for  social  honors  that  if  they  could  not  secure 
the  mantle  of  leadership  for  themselves  there 
was  no  one  more  fitted  to  wear  it  than  Mrs. 
Lawson.  But  her  disappearance  had  raised 
the  hopes  of  many  to  conquer  her  position.  At 
first  many  inquiries  were  made  as  to  the  well 
being  of  Mrs.  Lawson,  but  they  were  all  met 
with  the  declaration  that  she  was  about  as  well 
as  could  be  expected  under  existing  conditions. 
A  few  more  inquisitive  than  others  tried  to  get 
information  through  the  gossip  among  the 
servants,  and  for  a  time  conflicting  rumors 
53 


54  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

filled  the  air,  but  no  one  showed  enough  inter 
est  to  probe  more  deeply  what  they  considered 
a  delicate  affair. 

Among  those  who  felt  the  greatest  sorrow 
at  the  news  of  Mrs.  Lawson's  affliction  was 
John  Morgan,  one  of  the  most  prominent  law 
yers  of  Frisco.  He  had  not  seen  much  lately 
of  Mrs.  Lawson.  His  extensive  practice  had 
kept  him  busy  and  then  social  pleasures  had 
never  much  attraction  for  his  active  mind, 
even  if  his  finances  would  have  allowed  the 
participation,  which  through  his  liberality  to 
needy  friends  was  not  the  case.  He  well  re 
membered  little  Margaret  H'arbeson  sitting 
upon  her  father's  knee  when  he  came  some 
times  to  spend  Sunday  at  his  residence. 
Charles  Harbeson  had  been  very  fond  and 
proud  of  little  Margie,  the  only  heir  to  his 
vast  property,  yet  little  Margie  could  never  be 
called  spoiled,  as  is  often  the  case  with  only 
children,  and  especially  heiresses.  Her  natur 
al  kindness  and  sweet  disposition  saved  her 
from  becoming  haughty  and  selfish.  John,  as 
he  was  called  by  friends  and  acquaintances, 
from  the  judge  and  governor  to  the  office  and 
elevator  boy,  was  known  as  a  fighter  and  was 
feared  on  account  of  his  brusqueness  and  un 
compromising  disposition.  He  had  always  put 
principles  above  party  loyalty  and  was  conse 
quently  hated  and  dreaded  by  the  regular 
party  politicians.  John  had  only  one  extrava 
gant  habit;  a  big  black  cigar  was  always  be 
tween  his  lips.  He  saw  Margie  Harbeson 
budding  into  womanhood  and  sometimes  he 
wished  he  were  younger,  that  he  might  enter 
the  arena  with  the  many  who  were  struggling 


MORGAN MORAN 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST.  55 

for  the  hand  of  the  beautiful  heiress.  He  knew 
the  unworthy  character  of  most  of  these  men 
and  their  mercenary  motives,  and  when  the 
choice  of  Margaret  fell  on  a  man  named  Law- 
son,  a  crafty  and  rising  financier,  who  acted  as 
the  agent  of  the  Standard  Oil  in  the  West,  John 
was  sorely  troubled.  His  experience  as  a 
criminal  lawyer  had  made  him  an  excellent 
judge  of  human  nature  and  he  recognized  in 
Lawson  the  seeming  contradictory  nature  of 
the  lion  and  the  jackal.  A  fighter  like  himself, 
he  would  have  roused  a  sympathetic  feeling  in 
John,  but  the  cold  and  calculating  hypo 
crisy  apparent  to  a  clear  eye  like  John's  made 
him  shrink  from  personal  contact  and  even 
professional  dealings.  "That  man,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "would  sell  his  best  friend  without 
even  a  momentary  regret,  to  gain  a  financial 
advantage  or  to  satisfy  personal  grudge;  he  is 
like  a  criminal  who  would  delight  in  betraying 
a  pal."  Yet  he  abstained  from  giving  a  word 
of  warning,  either  to  Charles  Harbeson  or 
Margaret,  for  he  judged  it  useless  and  was 
present  and  even  toast-master  at  the  wedding. 
After  that  he  did  not  see  much  of  Margie 
Lawson.  Common  talk  made  Lawson  a  de 
voted  husband,  and  his  wife  a  leader  in  the 
work  of  charity  and  a  patroness  of  art. 

Not  long  after  the  wedding  Charles  Harbe 
son  died,  leaving  his  only  daughter  his  sole 
heir.  The  first  year  of  the  Lawsons'  stay  in 
Frisco  they  sent  John  many  invitations  to 
some  of  their  social  functions,  but  his  steady 
refusals  finally  caused  the  invitations  to  cease. 
When  John  was  told  of  Mrs.  Lawson's  afflic 
tion  he  was  deeply  sorry  and  a  bitter  thought 


56  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

against  the  frivolities  of  high  society  crept  into 
his  heart,  for  he  thought  them,  at  least,  a  con 
tributory  factor  to  her  sad  affliction.  So  not 
even  he  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of  the 
actual  state  of  affairs. 

One  fine  morning  John  was  sitting  at  his 
desk  smoking  his  usual  black  cigar,  reading 
the  letters  which  his  stenographer  handed  him 
already  opened.  He  had  read  several,  dictat 
ed  some  answers,  and  given  instructions  for 
the  answering  of  others  when  on  reading  one 
letter  the  pupils  of  his  eyes  seemed  to  dilate,  a 
crimson  color  passed  from  his  forehead  to  his 
chin,  then  a  deadly  pallor  spread  over  his  usu 
ally  so  impassive  face,  so  that  the  stenograph 
er  became  alarmed.  He  then  looked  around 
as  if  in  a  dream,  and  unmindful  of  his  sur 
roundings  walked  up  and  down  the  room  in 
deep  agitation.  Finally  he  looked  at  his  sten 
ographer  and  said,  "I  am  going  out  and  will 
not  be  back  today." 

Upon  reaching  the  thoroughfare  he  boarded 
a  street  car  which  he  knew  would  take  him  to 
the  park.  He  wanted  to  be  alone  to  think  over 
Margie  Lawson's  letter.  How  should  he  act? 
Oh,  if  he  could  only  follow  the  dictates  of  his 
own  heart  and  conscience,  cunning  Lawson 
should  rue  the  day  he  concocted  his  devilish 
conspiracy;  but  there  was  the  appeal  of  Mar 
garet  for  the  father  of  her  children.  With  a 
heavy  heart  and  suppressed  lips  he  finally  de 
cided  to  abide  by  her  wishes.  Concerning  the 
necessary  steps  and  their  speedy  success  he 
had  no  doubt.  Through  Judge  Dewey,  a  per 
sonal  friend,  all  the  legal  requirements  could 
be  secured.  He  lost  no  time.  Mrs.  Lawson 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  57 

should  not  spend  an  hour  longer  in  her  dread 
ful  position  through  any  hesitation  or  negli 
gence  on  his  part.  An  urgent  message  to 
Judge  Dewey  brought  that  gentleman  from  the 
court  room.  A  short  explanation  sufficed  to 
explain  the  situation,  and  armed  with  his 
Habeas  Corpus,  and  accompanied  by  four 
court  attendants,  whom  John  knew  to  be  reli 
able,  he  went  to  the  sanitarium  of  Dr.  Delano. 
John  sent  his  card  to  the  doctor,  and  had  not 
long  to  wait  for  that  worthy  individual,  who 
showed  unmistakable  uneasiness,  trying  in 
vain  to  wear  his  usual  suave  smile.  John  sat 
quietly  surveying  the  trembling  doctor  from 
head  to  foot. 

"You  look  disturbed,  doctor;  I  never 
expected  that  my  mere  appearance  in  a  sani- 
torium  like  this  would  cause  such  anxiety." 

"You  see  me  surprised  I  admit,  but  I  do  not 
know  why  I  should  have  any  anxiety." 

"You  don't,  don't  you?"  came  from  the  lips 
of  Morgan  with  a  fierceness,  half  surpressed. 
"You  know  me  by  reputation  I  have  no  doubt, 
and  I  will  inform  you  that  I  stand  here  as  a 
friend  of  the  late  Charles  Harbeson  and  his 
daughter  Margaret,  and  as  the  result  of  this 
letter  in  the  capacity  of  her  lawyer." 

He  showed  the  doctor  the  signature,  the  date 
and  place  of  sending  of  Mrs.  Lawson's  letter 
received  in  the  morning  mail.  Dr.  Delano 
nearly  collapsed.  Conscious  guilt  was  clearly 
depicted  on  his  face.  He  felt  this  self  accusa 
tion,  but  could  not  help  himself.  Thus  con 
science,  the  voice  of  the  higher  self,  the  spark 
which  cometh  from  above,  will  sometimes  lift 
her  voice  and  deliver  up  the  lower  part  of  man 


58  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  the  Judge  for  conviction  and  redemption. 
The  doctor  fell  into  a  chair  and  with  a  voice 
trembling  with  fear  he  said;  "I  am  in  your 
power,  what  do  you  want  me  to  do?" 

"The  children  of  Margie  Harbeson  shield 
you  from  the  penalty  which  you  have  so  justly 
deserved,  but  I  shall  keep  my  eye  on  you  and 
this  place,  and  if  ever  a  chance  is  offered,  you 
can  bear  in  mind  that  leniency  will  not  come 
from  my  side.  Now  sign  these  papers  of  dis 
charge  of  Mrs.  Lawson  and  then  take  me  to  her 
apartment.  In  case  of  contemplated  treachery 
I  will  inform  you  that  two  men  are  with  me 
here  and  two  others  are  outside  awaiting  my 
orders,  besides  Judge  Dewey  is  familiar  with 
the  details  of  this  case." 

Mrs.  Lawson  was  sitting  by  her  favorite  win 
dow  when  her  ear  was  startled  by  a  knock  at 
the  door.  Expectation,  and  a  mind  wavering 
between  hope  and  fear,  had  made  her  nervous. 
A  cry  of  joy  and  exultation  came  from  her  lips 
when  she  recognized  the  proud  and  haughty 
6earing  of  Mr.  Morgan. 

"Oh,  you  have  come,  I  knew  you  would 
come,"  she  cried,  and  with  a  convulsive  sob  she 
threw  herself  into  his  arms. 

A  strange  thrill  went  through  John  as  he  held 
in  his  arms  the  trembling  figure  of  Margie  Law- 
son,  but  his  outward  composure  showed  nothing 
of  his  inward  emotion.  EDe  looked  around  for 
Dr.  Delano  but  that  worthy  gentleman  had  dis 
appeared. 

After  he  succeeded  in  quieting  her  somewhat 
Morgan  remarked:  "Let  us  leave  here  at  once, 
all  your  things  can  be  sent  after  you."  She  was 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  59 

too  excited  to  have  a  will  of  her  own,  and  he  led 
her  to  the  carriage. 

"Now  where  do  you  want  to  go?  Have  you 
any  plan?"  asked  John  when  they  were  ap 
proaching  the  city. 

"I  have,"  she  answered,  "but  I  want  first  a 
few  hours'  rest.  The  whole  thing  must  be  kept 
from  the  world  for  the  sake  of  the  children, 
and  to  achieve  this  result  I  must  for  a  few 
days  at  least,  return  home  or  rather  what  I 
called  home,  and  endure  the  sight  of  Mr.  Law- 
son." 

"All  right,  I  will  go  with  you.  My  presence 
will  give  Mr.  Lawson  a  valuable  and  useful 
hint  under  the  circumstances." 

Home  to  her  children  was  now  her  all-ab 
sorbing  thought.  Arrived  at  the  house  Mr. 
Morgan  sent  his  card  to  Mr.  Lawson,  while 
Mrs.  Lawson  went  to  her  apartment.  The 
meeting  between  Lawson  and  Morgan  was  of 
short  duration.  Lawson  seemed  stupefied  and 
unable  to  find  even  words  of  greeting.  Mr. 
Morgan  informed  him  that  he  was  the  legal 
adviser  of  his  wife  and  that  he  considered  him 
self  now  the  guardian  of  the  daughter  of 
Charles  Harbeson,  his  former  friend.  Not  a 
word  of  protest  came  from  the  lips  of  Lawson. 
The  meeting  of  these  two  men  was  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  sage's  words :  "Thrice  is  he 
armed  who  had  his  quarrel  just,  and  he  but 
naked  though  locked  in  steel  whose  cause 
with  injustice  is  corrupted." 

As  soon  as  the  return  of  Mrs.  Lawson  be 
came  known  a  stream  of  carriages  attested  her 
popularity.  She  received  all  her  visitors  with 
her  usual  smile,  and  to  all  inquiries  she  simply 


60  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

intimated  that  she  had  derived  great  benefit 
from  her  two  weeks  quiet  and  rest. 

Her  plans  for  the  future  had  been  formed 
in  those  trying  days  at  the  sanitorium,  and  her 
changed  situation  did  not,  as  would  be  the  case 
with  inferior  minds,  alter  her  determination 
that  her  life  was  to  be  spent  in  the  service  of 
humanity,  and  especially  in  inquiring  after 
victims  of  conspiracy  similar  to  the  one  from 
which  she  had  suffered. 

She  sent  for  Morgan  and  informed  him  that 
she  wanted  him  to  take  charge  of  the  manage 
ment  of  the  property  inherited  from  her 
father,  and  to  take  immediate  steps  to  secure 
control.  She  explained  to  him  that  her  new 
aim  in  life  w^ould  necessitate  a  good  deal  of 
travel,  and  sometimes,  possibly,  the  assumption 
of  a  different  name,  and  made  arrangement 
for  the  disposition  of  her  revenues  so  they 
should  be  always  ready  for  her  disposal.  At 
first  Mr.  Morgan  tried  to  dissuade  her  from 
her  purpose.  He  pointed  out  the  grave  risks 
and  dangers  to  which  she  would  be  exposed. 
He  told  her  that  her  case  was  a  very  excep 
tional  one  and  that  there  was  not  likely  an 
other  case  like  hers  in  this  or  any  other  coun 
try.  Mrs.  Lawson  listened  to  his  arguments, 
but  calmly  and  firmly  she  informed  him  that 
her  mind  was  made  up,  and  that  she  had  de 
termined  to  examine  life  at  the  bottom,  in  the 
valley,  and  no  longer  as  she  had  heretofore 
from  the  heights.  Mr.  Morgan  bowed  sub 
missively  and  asked  her  to  bear  in  mind  that 
in  any  situation  it  would  always  be  to  him  a 
source  of  happiness  to  devote  his  services  to 
her  wishes  and  success.  He  left  her  presence 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  61 

in  a  thoughtful  mood.  A  sad  expression  dim 
med  his  eyes.  Had  new  hopes  begun  to  start  in 
his  heart,  and  did  the  intended  departure  of 
his  fair  client  cause  regrets  other  than  fears 
for  her  safety  and  happiness?  Hope  springs 
eternal  in  the  human  breast.  Not  that  John 
would  even  admit  to  himself  that  his  solici 
tude  for  his  client  had  a  more  selfish  and  ten 
der  background. 

To  the  surprise  of  Morgan,  Lawson  made 
no  difficulty  in  the  transference  of  his  wife's 
property,  neither  did  he  raise  any  objection 
when  Morgan  in  obedience  to  instructions 
from  Mrs.  Lawson  told  him  that  she  would 
leave  California  and  that  in  a  suit  for  divorce, 
on  the  charge  of  desertion,  no  contest  would 
be  made.  "I  always  sized  him  up  as  a  moral 
coward,"  John  murmured  to  himself  as  he  left 
Mr.  Lawson's  office. 

Mrs.  Lawson's  new  life  and  achievement  of 
her  purpose  necessitated,  at  least  for  a  while, 
a  separation  from  her  children.  This  was  hard, 
but  she  reflected  that  sacrifice  had  to  be  made 
for  every  great  and  worthy  cause  and  that 
greater  ones  had  been  cheerfully  made  by  the 
pioneers  of  human  progress  and  welfare. 
Upon  inquiry  she  was  agreeably  surprised  to 
learn  that  Mrs.  Gray's  boarding  school  in 
Medford,  Mass.,  from  which  she  graduated, 
was  still  in  existence,  and  that  its  facilities  had 
been  greatly  enlarged,  and  that  a  Mr.  Southey 
had  a  good  school  for  boys  in  the  same  place. 
She  determined  to  examine  the  place  in 
person. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A    NEW    LIFE 

On  her  journey  across  the  continent  she 
stopped  at  the  principal  cities  to  look,  faithful 
to  her  promise,  at  life  in  its  various  aspects. 
From  her  childhood  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  having  others  do  her  bidding,  and  meet  her 
wishes  everywhere  with  humble  submission 
and  deference.  That  condition  had  always 
seemed  quite  natural  to  her,  and  she  had  never 
given  it  serious  reflection,  but  now  she  won 
dered  how  it  was  that  some  seem  to  find  their 
happiness  in  administering  to  the  pleasures  of 
others.  The  porters  in  the  hotel,  how  eagerly 
they  rushed  forward  to  carry  her  luggage, 
how  waiters  and  chambermaids  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  contributing  to  her  ease  and 
comfort !  There  seemed  to  be  two  kinds  of 
people,  one  made  happy  and  comfortable  by 
the  toils  of  others,  and  the  other  made  happy 
and  grateful  by  the  permission  to  render  such 
services.  But  what  surprised  her  most  was 
the  eagerness  with  which  this  service  was  ren 
dered,  and  the  happiness  which  it  seemed  to 
engender.  She  also  had  determined  to  make  a 
sacrifice  and  devote  her  efforts  to  the  welfare 
of  others,  but  she  did  it  from  a  sense  of  duty, 
without  their  apparent  gratification  in  its  per 
formance. 

When  her  children  were  placed  in  their  new 
62 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  63 

quarters  (for  she  decided  upon  the  Medford 
boarding  schools)  she  felt  herself  free  to  fol 
low  her  life's  work.  She  determined  to  inves 
tigate,  first  public  institutions,  and  especially 
the  public  and  private  sanitoriums  of  Mass 
achusetts.  This  state  has  always  enjoyed  the 
public  distinction  of  being  the  best  governed 
state  in  the  Union,  and  she  expected  to  find 
the  most  up  to  date  methods,  which  might  be 
recommended  to  other  states.  A  letter  of  in 
troduction  from  an  influential  politician  se 
cured  through  John  Morgan,  procured  her  a 
most  cordial  reception  at  these  institutions. 
With  the  greatest  readiness  the  directors  show 
ed  her  through  the  building  and  explained  the 
working  of  their  institution.  Everything  was 
neat  and  clean  and  the  most  perfect  order 
seemed  to  prevail.  In  accordance  with  a  pro 
mise  to  Morgan  to  keep  him  in  touch  with  her 
work,  she  wrote  him  a  letter  with  nothing  but 
praise  of  Massachusetts'  public  institutions.  A 
broad  sjnile  played  around  the  lips  of  Morgan 
when  he  read  Mrs.  Lawson's  enthusiastic  des 
cription.  Should  he  use  this  opportunity  to 
withdraw  her  from  her  self-imposed  task  or  to 
give  her  some  hints  that  would  be  useful  in  her 
work?  His  natural  honesty  conquered  his 
secret  longings  and  he  wrote  in  reply  that  if 
she  confined  her  investigations  of  public  insti 
tutions  to  the  surface  of  things  as  presented  by 
interested  officials,  nothing  but  justice,  peace, 
harmony  and  goodwill  would  be  everywhere  in 
evidence,  but  if  she  wanted  to  reach  practical 
results  she  would  have  to  look  at  the  bottom  of 
things  and  come  in  touch  with  inmates  and 
attendants. 


64  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

This  seemed  good  advice  and  she  determin 
ed  to  follow  it.  She  discovered  that  nearly  all 
the  inmates  of  the  public  insane  asylums  were 
from  the  so-called  lower  or  working  classes. 
Her  first  solicitude  was,  of  course,  to  look  for 
victims  of  conspiracies,  but  could  find  no  trace 
of  such  a  case,  and  an  attendant,  whose  good 
will  she  had  secured  by  a  magnificent  gift 
shook  his  head,  when  she  mentioned  such  a 
contingency.  But  while  she  failed  at  first  to 
find  any  trace  of  illegal  conspiracies,  she  made 
some  other  discoveries.  Great  was  her  sur 
prise  when  the  inner  workings  of  these  insti 
tutions  were  laid  before  her  eyes.  With  what 
solicitude  had  not  the  doctors  spoken  of  the 
condition  of  some  of  their  patients  and  discuss 
ed  the  methods  of  treatment  for  their  re 
covery!  Now  she  was  amazed  to  find  that 
some  of  these  inmates  had  been  in  places  for 
years  without  receiving  any  kind  of  attention 
and  soon  she  also  heard  whispers  of  many 
kinds  of  abuses.  She  was  shocked  at  the  low 
intelligence  and  even  moral  standard  of  most 
of  the  attendants.  Insufficient  wages 

could  not  account  for  this,  for  while  the  pay 
was  small  it  was  better  than  in  most  private 
places  for  similar  services. 

Another  feature  was  a  cause  of  surprise. 
She  learned  that  while  it  was  no  easy  matter  to 
have  a  person  sent  to  a  public  sanitorium,  it 
was  still  more  'difficult  to  get  him  out  when 
once  successfully  placed.  The  explanation 
given  by  her  obliging  attendant  was  this :  "The 
state  has  to  pay  so  much  for  every  inmate  and 
the  committing-  official  does  not  care  to  in 
crease  the  burden  of  taxation,  while  the  doc- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  65 

tor's  interest  demands  the  place  to  be  full,  as  the 
more  inmates  the  greater  his  graft."  She  like 
wise  heard  many  stories  of  malpractice  and 
cruelties  inflicted,  but  her  attempts  to  secure 
positive  evidence  were  for  a  long  time  doomed 
to  failure. 

Mrs.  Lawson  arranged  to  have  some  of  the 
attendants  come  to  her  room  and  questioned 
them  carefully  about  the  condition  of  the  insti 
tutions  at  which  they  were  employed.  She  was 
far  from  giving  implicit  credence  to  their  stor 
ies  as  she  felt  that  their  testimony,  unsupport 
ed  by  other  evidence,  would  not  be  of  much 
legal  or  moral  value.  The  very  fact  that  they 
had  been  silent  witnesses  to  things  of  which, 
for  a  consideration,  they  professed  now  abhor 
rence,  the  smile  with  which  they  could  relate 
the  most  shocking  cases  of  cruelty  and  abuse, 
advised  caution.  Looking  at  these  men,  Mrs. 
Lawson  wondered  whether  an  inferiority  of 
mental  and  moral  standard  combined  with  a 
certain  low  cunning  was  considered  by  Mass 
achusetts  politicians  a  special  qualification  for 
the  guardians  of  the  unfortunate  wards  of  the 
state. 

The  evidence  gradually  collected  from  pre 
sent  and  former  inmates,  their  relatives  and 
friends,  and  from  attendants  furnished  conclu 
sive  proof  of  a  state  of  conditions  that,  Mrs. 
Lawson  thought,  would  prove  quite  a  shock  to 
the  good  people  of  Massachusetts.  In  her 
"political"  innocence  she  expected  the  gover 
nor  to  feel  deeply  grateful  for  being  made  cog 
nizant  of  improper  conditions  in  public  insti 
tutions.  She  felt  sure  that  he  would  order  an 


66  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

immediate  investigation,  punish  the  guilty  and 
inaugurate  a  sweeping  system  of  reform. 

Her  first  illusion  came  when  she  encounter 
ed  all  kinds  of  obstacles  and  delays  in  her 
efforts  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  Massachusetts 
Chief  Executive.  For  weeks  she  tried  in  vain 
to  obtain  a  hearing. 

Through  her  well-known  connections  in  San 
Francisco  she  could  easily  have  entered  the  so- 
called  high  society  of  Boston  and  use  acquain- 
tainces  thus  formed  as  a  lever  to  official  rec 
ognition,  but  she  shrank  from  entering  again 
that  world  of  inane  frivolities.  But  persev 
erance  received  its  reward.  After  many  fruit 
less  efforts  Mrs.  Lawson  finally  succeeded  in 
getting  her  audience  with  the  governor,  and 
then  came  her  second  disillusion.  She  was 
amazed  at  his  attitude.  Her  revelations  had 
nothing  startling  for  him.  Some  of  his  re 
marks  were  like  this :  "We  cannot  have  things 
always  in  absolute  harmony  and  perfection  in 
these  places.  The  officials  and  attendants  have 
a  very  difficult  and  trying  service,  and  some 
times  the  inmates,  although  insane,  may  need 
a  more  severe  treatment.  Discipline  is  neces 
sary  in  public  institutions."  When  she  spoke 
in  a  voice  vibrating  with  indignation  of  the 
various  cruelties  inflicted  and  of  the  outraged 
feelings  of  these  poor  people,  the  governor 
smiled  and  remarked  indulgently:  "My  dear 
madam,  please  do  not  excite  yourself.  There 
is  no  cause  whatever  for  indignation.  You  fail 
to  see  the  situation  in  its  proper  relations.  You 
seem  to  forget  that  inmates  of  these  places 
recruit  themselves  exclusively  from  the  lower 
or  working  classes.  They  do  not  feel  as  we  do. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  67 

Many  things  that  would  cause  us  mental  and 
physical  anguish  are  taken  by  them  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course,  and  are  even  expected." 

"I  will  look  into  this  matter,  but  think  you 
greatly  exaggerate  things.  I  distrust  some  of 
your  testimony.  Dr.  Downs  and  Dr.  Jones 
are  men  of  the  highest  standard  in  their  pro 
fession;  they  are  on  the  spot,  and  if  things 
were  as  you  say,  and,  I  am  willing  to  admit,  as 
you  think,  these  men  would  long  ago  have  in 
terfered  and  asked  official  intervention." 

"These  doctors  stay  in  their  own  residences, 
they  spend  but  a  few  hours  in  the  asylums  on 
visiting  days.  They  hardly  ever  see  the  pa 
tients,  they  are  satisfied  to  draw  their  salary 
with  the  least  exertion,  they  are  not  worthy  of 
the  confidence  which  you  seem  to  place  in 
them." 

"Your  generous  nature  makes  you  utter 
some  rash  judgments.  Think  the  matter  over 
carefully  and  you  will  find  everything  quite 
natural.  An  investigation  besides  would  need 
a  special  appropriation  and  would  needlessly 
arouse  the  public." 

"You  refuse  then  to  do  anything  at  all  in 
this  matter?"  she  asked  in  a  voice  deeply  dis 
appointed. 

"I  feel  it  is  my  duty  to  act  in  this  way.  One 
of  the  first  principles  of  statesmanship  is  to 
keep  the  people  quiet  and  contented  and  you 
millionaires  especially  have  no  interest  to  stir 
up  things,"  concluded  the  governor  with  a  sig 
nificant  emphasis. 

"My  interest  today  lies  with  the  people,  the 
poor  and  suffering,  and  you,  even  more  than 


68  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

I,  should  consider  yourself  their  special 
guardian." 

"In  theory  yes,  and  in  political  speeches  too, 
but  madam,  I  am  surprised  that  you  from  the 
place  which  you  occupy  should  have  no  better 
perspective  of  things." 

"I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  convince  you,  but 
I  can  do  nothing."  He  arose  and  she  took  her 
leave. 

Next  day  she  wrote  to  Morgan,  informed 
him  of  the  state  of  affairs  and  reported  her  in 
terview  with  the  governor.  A  knowing  smile 
played  around  the  lips  of  John  as  he  read  this 
communication  from  Mrs.  Lawson.  He  knew 
politics  and  politicians  and  foresaw  that  such 
would  be  the  attitude  in  Massachusetts  as  well 
as  in  any  other  state.  He  wrote  Mrs.  Lawson 
a  lengthy  letter  in  which  he  set  forth  that  this 
result  had  to  be  expected,  that  a  governor  even 
if  he  personally  wished  otherwise  had  to  con 
sider  party  policy;  that  men  were  looking  for 
office  and  that  their  chances  were  diminished  by 
discrediting  the  management  of  public  institu 
tions  and  party  appointees.  He  advised  her 
to  submit  her  evidence  to  a  good  journalist  and 
send  it  to  an  opposition  newspaper.  "Massa 
chusetts"  he  wrote,  "is  Republican,  so  you 
must  select  a  Democratic  paper.  Do  not  be 
hard  on  the  papers  either  if  they  refuse  to 
publish  your  revelations;  the  counting  room 
dominates  even  partisanship.  Libel  suits  are 
sometimes  looming  up  in  the  background,  but 
the  thing  most  dreaded  is  the  loss  of  patron 
age.  The  most  lucrative  advertisements  come 
today  from  large  department  houses,  controlled 
by  high  finance,  and  the  powers  in  control  do 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  69 

not  look  favorably  on  such  revelations.  As  a 
last  resort  you  can  try  Kearst's  paper  published 
in  Boston.  Owing  to  its  habitual  sensational 
ism  its  communications  are  not  always  taken 
at  face  value  by  the  readers,  but  might  succeed 
in  forcing  a  discussion  and  controversy  which 
might  lead  to  definite  results." 

She  followed  the  advice  given  her  and  had 
her  evidence  made  into  a  first  class  article  by 
a  well  known  journalist.  Disregarding  Mor 
gan's  advice  on  party  lines,  she  first  tried  the 
Advance.  For  over  a  week  she  bought  a  copy 
of  that  paper  every  day  looking  for  the  article. 
When  nothing  appeared  she  went  in  person  to 
the  editorial  sanctum  and  was  informed  with 
a  bland  smile  by  the  editor  that  he  had  no  time 
thus  far  to  read  her  manuscript,  but  would  do 
so  at  his  earliest  opportunity.  She  withheld 
the  words  that  came  to  her  lips  and  tried  to  im 
press  upon  his  mind  the  importance  of  the 
subject  and  the  necessity  of  speedy  publica 
tion.  The  manuscript  was  returned.  She 
next  tried  the  Herald,  then  the  Globe,  then  the 
Post  with  similar  success.  Kearst's  paper  the 
American,  did  the  same  as  the  others.  She  re 
ported  her  lack  of  success  to  Morgan.  With  a 
feeling  akin  to  satisfaction  John  read  the  ac 
count  of  Mrs.  Lawson's  failure  to  secure  a 
hearing.  Both  for  her  own  sake  and  in  the  in 
terest  of  justice  and  good  government  he 
would  have  liked  her  to  have  succeeded  in  her 
efforts,  but  we  are  pleased  always  in  finding 
our  judgment  correct  even  if  the  result  is  op 
posed  to  our  interests  and  our  wishes. 

He  wrote  back  that  he  would  send  a  person 
al  letter  to  Mr.  Kearst  which  he  hoped  would 


70  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

lead  to  acceptance  of  article.  And  sure  enough 
a  few  days  later  she  received  from  the  "Amer 
ican"  office  a  letter  in  which  submission  of 
article  was  solicited.  She  sent  the  article  to 
the  editor,  with  a  few  words  of  appreciation 
and  promised  financial  responsibility  in  case  of 
any  suit  for  libel.  The  next  day  she  was  sore 
ly  grieved  and  fairly  indignant  when  she  read 
her  article  which  appeared  printed  in  the  form 
of  a  personal  letter  to  the  editor.  She  hardly 
recognized  the  manuscript,  the  article  had  be 
come  so  emasculated  that  no  possible  effect 
could  be  expected  from  its  publication.  What 
should  she  do?  The  journalist  who  had  ar 
ranged  the  article  advised  the  printing  of  a 
pamphlet  and  its  distribution  throughout  the 
state.  She  did  not  like  the  idea  and  somehow 
shrank  from  the  notoriety  which  such  a  step 
would  entail,  but  finally  consented.  The  pam 
phlet  was  printed  and  widely  distributed.  But 
things  went  on  the  same  as  before.  The  pub 
lic  did  not  seem  to  get  interested,  the  papers 
took  no  notice;  only  one  made  some  jocose 
remarks  about  the  western  millionairess  who 
had  discovered  a  new  fad  to  beguile  her  time 
and  spend  her  superfluous  money. 

One  morning  Darbey,  her  informant  at  the 
sanitarium  in  Danvers,  came  to  her  room  at 
the  hotel  greatly  excited.  A  man  named  Ket- 
chel  had  been  killed  by  two  attendants,  Mason 
and  Dixon.  On  account  of  an  infraction  of  the 
rules  which  had  cost  them  some  extra  labor 
they  had  attacked  him  in  his  room  and  given 
him  such  a  beating  that  he  died  two  days  later. 
The  doctors,  trying  to  hush  things  up,  had  him 
buried  quietly  and  without  the  usual  cere- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  71 

monies.  Darbey  could  give  details  which  es 
tablished  the  truth  of  his  story  beyond  reason 
able  doubt.  Mrs.  Lawson  was  greatly  shock 
ed  and  yet  experienced  a  certain  feeling  of 
satisfaction.  The  governor  now  would  be 
forced  to  admit  the  truth  of  her  former  allega 
tions  and  through  the  prosecution  of  this  case 
she  hoped  to  be  able  show  other  things  that 
would  rouse  the  public  and  insure  the  reforms 
for  which  she  was  striving.  But  she  soon  rea 
lized  that  others  did  not  share  her  feelings. 
Her  lawyer  to  whom  she  submitted  the  testi 
mony  and  evidence  furnished  by  Darbey  seem 
ed  reluctant  to  act.  He  was  a  Republican  and 
feared  the  activity  on  his  part,  in  a  case  like 
this,  would  cause  him  to  lose  official  favor  and 
damage  his  chances  of  preferment. 

"That  man  is  dead  anyhow,"  he  remarked. 
"Why  make  a  disturbance  and  fill  the  people 
with  distrust  of  our  public  institutions." 

She  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  She  had 
suspected  before  his  zeal  for  justice  and  inter 
est  in  her  endeavors  but  she  was  not  prepared 
for  such  indifference  and  unwillingness. 

"All  right,"  she  said  after  some  reflection, 
"I  will  engage  another  attorney." 

"Oh,  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  take  the 
case  and  do  as  you  wish  if  you  insist." 

"No,"  she  answered,  with  a  half  contemp 
tuous  vibration  in  her  voice,  "I  once  heard  a 
man  say,  that  a  hound  which  must  be  carried 
to  the  chase  will  never  catch  the  fox." 

A  lawyer  named  Berwin  had  been  highly 
recommended  for  his  ability  and  for  a  lawyer's 
exceptional  integrity.  She  engaged  his  ser 
vices  and  to  stimulate  his  energy  she  promised 


72  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

a  special  fee  if  the  case  would  be  carried  to  a 
successful  termination.  But  Berwin  encoun 
tered  unexpected  obstacles.  The  authorities 
were  not  willing  to  act.  They  pretended  to 
disbelieve  the  stories  of  Darbey  and  tried  to 
discredit  his  evidence.  He  had  already  been 
summarily  dismissed  and  was  threatened  with 
charges  of  mis-conduct.  At  the  advice  of  her 
counsel  Mrs.  Lawson  tried  to  secure  the  co 
operation  of  the  relatives  of  the  murdered  man. 
But  she  found  great  lukewarmness  coupled  with 
fear  and  awe  of  the  authorities.  Members  of 
the  working  class  seem  to  feel  instinctively 
that  government  was  not  instituted  for  their 
interest  and  protection  and  they  have  a  dread 
to  come  in  contact  with  its  legal  machinery. 

Another  turn  was  then  suggested.  Ketchel 
had  been  a  printer,  a  member  of  the  Typo 
graphical  Union  of  Boston.  Berwin  thought  that 
something  might  be  expected  from  the  activity 
of  his  union.  He  discussed  the  case  with  the 
officers  of  Ketchel's  lodge.  They  expressed 
sympathy  for  Ketchel  but  their  civic  pride  had 
been  too  long  dormant  to  be  awakened  at  once. 

Neither  did  it  seem  to  concern  them  espec 
ially  that  a  member  of  their  Union  had  met 
with  foul  treatment.  There  was  but  one  idea 
that  seemed  to  underlie  as  a  motive  power  of 
their  actions,  although  not  openly  expressed  in 
so  many  words.  What  is  in  it?  Why  should 
they  make  for  themselves  extra  work  without 
compensation.  Berwin  paid  a  visit  to  Mrs. 
Lawson  and  informed  her  that  a  certain  sum 
of  money,  judiciously  expended  would  greatly 
facilitate  matters.  In  answer  to  an  inquiring 
and  hesitating  look  Berwin  simply  said,  "Peo- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  73 

pie  won't  move  without  pay."  She  accepted  his 
suggestion.  The  next  Sunday  at  the  regular 
meeting  of  the  Central  Labor  Union  the  case 
of  Ketchel  was  brought  before  the  meeting. 
Several  prominent  labor  leaders  expressed  great 
indignation  at  the  treatment  to  which  one  of 
their  members  had  been  subjected.  They  de 
nounced  in  the  strongest  terms  the  authorities 
for  their  indifference  to  the  wrongs  done  to 
working  men  and  a  resolution  was  carried  un 
animously  to  demand  a  full  and  impartial  in 
vestigation  of  the  case.  Copies  of  this  resolu 
tion  were  sent  to  the  Governor,  the  district  at 
torney,  the  legislature  and  the  press.  The 
papers  now  could  not  help  mentioning  the 
affair,  and  the  authorities  were  forced  to  act. 

The  body  of  Ketchel  was  taken  from  the 
grave.  Ketchel's  family  made  zealous  through 
a  considerable  donation  engaged  a  doctor  re 
commended  by  Mrs.  Lawson  to  assist  the  ex 
aminer  and  watch  the  official  medical  report. 
Mason  and  Dixon  were  indicted  for  man 
slaughter  and  brought  to  trial.  Some  of  the  most 
revolting  stories  came  out  in  the  trial,  cruelties 
inflicted  upon  other  patients  by  these  and  other 
attendants  could  not  be  kept  from  the  testimony. 
A  verdict  of  guilty  was  returned  but  the  court 
imposed  the  lightest  sentence  permitted  by  law. 
The  trial  had  been  practically  behind  closed 
doors ;  only  persons  directly  interested  in  the 
case  were  admitted  in  the  court  room.  The 
reports  of  the  press  were  very  meager  and 
couched  in  such  terms  as  not  to  arouse  public 
interest  or  indignation.  The  expected  public 
investigation  did  not  seem  to  be  forthcoming. 
Governor  Dates  refused  to  give  another  audi- 


74  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ence.  Berwin,  or  rather  a  check  for  one  thou 
sand  dollars,  succeeded  in  inducing  a  member 
of  the  legislature  to  offer  a  resolution  asking 
for  an  investigation  of  the  insane  asylums  of 
the  state.  Mrs.  Lawson  had  hesitated  when  ask 
ed  for  the  check,  but  Berwin  simply  said  that 
people  had  to  be  paid  for  their  work.  "Men 
won't  move  without  money,"  was  one  of  his 
stock  phrases. 

The  resolution  in  the  legislature  was  refer 
red  to  the  recess  committee. 

"Will  anything  come  from  it?"  Mrs.  Lawson 
asked  doubtfully. 

"No,"  Berwin  said  thoughtfully,  "the  recess 
committee  is  the  burial  place  for  unwelcome 
resolutions,  which  on  acount  of  public  opinion 
or  party  policy  cannot  be  ignored  altogether  or 
openly  rejected." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    STREAM    OF    LIFE 

Things  looked  rather  discouraging  indeed. 
Her  expenditure  of  energy,  of  time  and  money 
seemed  thus  far  to  have  borne  no  visible  fruit. 
A  few  minor  officials  had  been  punished  for  a 
notorious  crime,  but  the  system  she  tried  so 
hard  to  reform  was  still  operative  and  seemed 
to  enjoy  official  favor.  It  was  therefore  a 
source  of  sincere  gratification  when  from  in 
mates  of  insane  and  penal  institutions  she  re 
ceived  letters  containing  many  expressions  of 
deep  gratitude  for  the  improvements  inaugu 
rated  since  her  agitation.  So  her  efforts  had 
not  been  without  effect  altogether.  The  thou 
sands  of  inmates  of  the  public  institutions  of 
Massachusetts  had  at  least  derived  some  ben 
efit  from  her  exertions.  This  reflection  acted 
as  a  stimulant  and  she  decided  to  continue  her 
efforts. 

Her  investigation  at  first  confined  to  insane 
asylums  had  afforded  her  many  glimpses  into 
so-called'  alms-houses  and  prisons.  Some  of 
the  inmates  had  made  the  rounds  several  times, 
so  that  it  was  undecided  whether  insane  asy 
lums  were  .  breeding  places  and  preparatory 
schools  for  alms-houses  and  penal  institutions, 
or  vice  versa.  On  the  whole,  the  number  of 
those  who  had  graduated  from  penal  institu 
tions  first  seemed  larger,  but  the  inter- 
75 


76  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

dependence  and  mutual  obligation  of  these 
places  for  patronage  was  clearly  apparent. 
The  information  thus  obtained  soon  shjawed 
that  the  cruelties  and  tortures  practised  in 
prisons,  mis-named  reformatories,  were  even 
worse  than  those  in  the  insane  asylums.  The 
inflictions  of  all  kinds  of  torture  had  been 
elaborated  into  a  regular  system  and  seemed  to 
afford  great  sport  to  guards  and  officials.  "Are 
these  men  possessed  of  evil  spirits  of  which  we 
read  in  the  Bible?"  Mrs.  Lawson  asked  one 
day  of  Mr.  Berwin. 

"Result  of  prison  atmosphere,"  was  the 
answer.  He  was  quite  scholarly  and  a  half 
Swedenborgian,  besides  the  Greek  idea  of  the 
aura  was  familiar  to  him.  "Our  thoughts  and 
actions  are  influenced  by  our  environment,"  he 
continued,  "by  the  atmosphere  that  we  inhale." 

Berwin  had  engaged  a  keeper  named  Reilly 
at  Deer  Island  to  get  evidence  of  abuse  and 
malpractice.  Previous  to  his  engagement  at 
Deer  Island,  Reilly  had  held  for  many  years  a 
similar  position  at  Charlestown  Prison,  and  his 
recollections  dated  back  to  several  administra 
tions.  He  could  tell  many  stories  that  shed  a 
lurid  light  on  Massachusetts  politics  and 
methods  of  prison  discipline.  Among  other 
things,  he  told  of  a  poor  Jew  who  had  been 
driven  to  commit  suicide  by  a  keeper  with  a 
special  dislike  for  Christ-killers  as  he  express 
ed  himself.  He  told  of  "plantings"  at  Cherry 
Hill,  by  which  phrase  he  meant  the  placing  in 
solitary  confinement,  from  which  but  few 
emerged,  without  having  body  and  mind  per 
manently  impaired;  in  fact,  Cherry  Hill  was 
considered  by  keepers  and  inmates  as  a  kind  of 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  77 

novitiate  for  Bridgewater,  the  establishment  for 
the  criminally  insane  over  which  a  certain  Dr. 
Brew  presided.  But  nearly  all  the  cases  Reilly 
related  had  happened  too  far  back  to  allow 
legal  proceedings,  and  Berwin  offered  him  a 
special  reward  for  evidence  of  abuse  that 
would  result  in  a  conviction  before  the  courts. 
One  day  Reilly  made  his  appearance  with  an 
expression  on  his  face  that  clearly  showed  that 
he  had  something  of  importance  to  communi 
cate.  "I  have  found  out  something,"  he  said 
"but  I  would  like  to  have  more  than  promises 
as  far  as  reward  is  concerned  and  some 
arrangement  in  case  I  should  lose  my  posi 
tion." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Berwin. 

"Well  do  you  remember  poor  Darbey?  Pie 
is  now  looking  around  for  a  job  which  he  lost 
by  giving  you  people  information.  I  think  I 
can  tell  of  a  case  which  will  entitle  me  to  the 
reward  offered  for  successful  evidence,  but 
what  will  you  do  if  I  lose  my  job?" 

"We  offered  Darbey  a  good  position  out 
West.  He  was  around  yesterday  and  will  start 
for  his  new  place  of  employment  in  a  few 
days.  You  will  be  taken  care  of  in  the  same 
way." 

"All  right.  I  think  I  can  trust  you  to  do  the 
right  thing."  He  then  related  how  a  man 
Fitzgerald  had  been  so  maltreated  that  he  had 
become  a  cripple  for  life.  "I  just  heard  of  the 
case  yesterday,"  he  continued.  "Fitzgerald 
had  been  placed  in  a  special  ward  in  the  hos 
pital  and  hardly  anyone  had  known  what  was 
the  matter  with  him.  He  is  scared  of  his  life 


78  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

and  you  will  have  to  get  him  out  of  the  place 
if  you  want  him  to  talk." 

"Can  you  give  me  the  name  of  some  of  his 
relatives  ?" 

"I  did  not  see  any  of  them  but  I  know  his 
wife  and  four  children  live  on  Emerald 
Street." 

Berwin  laid  the  case  before  Mrs.  Lawson. 
"Prosecute  immediately,"  she  exclaimed. 

"Let  us  be  careful,"  answered  Berwin, 
"with  the  good  will  of  the  district  attorney 
something  might  be  done.  If  he  is  unwilling, 
prosecution  is  difficult  and  most  likely  would 
lead  to  no  definite  results.  For  some  reason  I 
do  not  stand  well  with  the  district  attorney. 
In  fact,"  he  said  bitterly,  "I  am  looked  upon 
askance  by  most  court  officials  and  even 
judges.  I  lack  the  faculty  to  insinuate  myself 
into  the  good  graces  of  Massachusetts  politi 
cians  and  their  appointees ;  but  I  have  a  friend 
and  colleague  named  Crowley  who,  though 
honest  himself,  is  a  personal  friend  of  the  dis 
trict  attorney  and  stands  well  with  the  judges. 
We'd  better  make  him  nominal  attorney  and 
prosecutor  in  this  case." 

"I  had  confidence  in  you  before  Mr.  Berwin, 
but  your  disfavor  with  Massachusetts  politi 
cians  confirms  my  good  opinion  of  you.  Do  as 
you  think  best.  Expenses  do  not  matter." 

Crowley  secured  the  co-operation  of  Fitz 
gerald's  relatives.  He  had  him  taken  from  the 
Island  and  he  secured  the  indictment  of  the 
two  keepers.  But  the  press  ignored  the  case. 
When  the  trial  was  held  it  was  practically  a 
star  chamber  affair,  but  the  keepers  were 
found  guilty  by  a  jury  and  the  judge  took  the 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  79 

case  under  advisement.  After  two  weeks'  de 
liberation  he  gave  as  his  verdict  that  it  was 
against  public  policy  and  would  be  prejudicial 
to  prison  discipline  to  send  keepers  to  prison. 
He  annulled  the  case  and  the  two  keepers,  em 
boldened  by  their  impunity,  were  at  liberty  to 
continue  their  nefarious  maltreatment  of  the 
unfortunate  wards  of  the  state.  Mrs.  Lawson 
was  not  especially  surprised  at  this  result.  She 
had  in  fact  expected  such  an  outcome,  but  she 
knew  that  in  spite  of  the  failure  of  official  and 
outward  recognition,  her  work  had  already 
made  officials  and  attendants  more  careful  of 
their  ^treatment  of  the  inmates  in^  the  public  in 
stitutions. 

In  the  meanwhile  Mrs.  Lawson  had  kept  a 
watchful  eye  on  the  insane  asylums.  She  con 
tinued  to  be  a  visitor  in  company  with  relatives 
of  patients.  In  one  of  her  visits  she  became 
engaged  in  a  conversation  with  a  man  named 
Larson,  a  tailor  from  Revere  who  had  come  to 
see  a  countryman  of  his  named  Henson.  "Hen- 
son,"  Larson  declared,  "is  today  as  sane  as  you 
or  I.  He  has  been  in  this  place  for  fourteen 
years.  He  craves  now  for  his  freedom  to  such 
an  extent  that  unless  he  is  released  he  will  suc 
cumb  to  grief  and  sorrow.  He  is  daily  grow 
ing  worse.  A  few  months  ago  I  had  succeed 
ed  in  securing  the  doctor's  permission  for  his 
release.  The  minister  of  the  Church  of  which 
Henson  had  been  a  member  had  secured  for 
him  a  good  position  as  caretaker  of  a  Swedish 
house  and  all  arrangements  had  been  made  for 
his  installation  when  the  doctor  informed  me 
that  Henson's  wife  objected  to  his  release  and 
that  without  his  wife's  permission  he  could  not 


8o  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

discharge  the  man.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Yorenhan- 
son  and  myself  went  to  see  the  wife  and  tried 
to  reason  with  her.  We  pointed  out  that  her 
husband's  health  was  so  undermined  by  his 
long  confinement,  that,  at  best,  he  had  but  a  few 
years  more  to  live,  and  we  beseeched  her  to  let 
him  close  his  earthly  life  in  friendly  surround 
ings,  but  she  remained  obdurate  and  became 
abusive  towards  me  as  well  as  towards  her 
Minister.  Upon  inquiries  we  heard  of  some 
rumors  that  since  her  husband's  confinement 
she  had  met  a  man  whom  she  liked  better  and 
that,  most  likely,  is  the  explanation  of  her 
strenuous  objection  to  Hanson's  release.  We 
have  laid  these  things  before  the  doctor  but 
thus  far  have  not  succeeded  in  securing  Hen- 
son's  discharge  against  his  wife's  objection." 

Mrs.  Lawson  wondered  how  such  things 
were  possible.  If  the  man  were  insane 
the  hospital  authorities  should  not  consent  to 
his  release,  regardless  of  the  wishes  of  a  wife, 
but,  if  mentally  sound,  it  seemed  strange  indeed 
that  a  man  should  be  kept  confined  in  an  in 
sane  asylum  because  his  wife  had  found  a 
lover. 

"The  doctor,"  Mr.  Larson  continued,  "offer 
ed  to  release  Henson,  if  I  could  guarantee  his 
leaving  the  country,  but  this  is  more  than  my 
finances  would  allow  and  when  I  questioned 
Henson  upon  the  subject,  he  did  not  take  kind 
ly  to  the  idea  of  being  thus  transported.  'I 
have  no  one  in  Sweden,'  he  lamented;  'my 
near  relatives  are  all  dead  and  I  have  no  place 
I  could  go  in  Sweden.'  He  was  yet  able  to 
work,  he  thought,  and  support  himself,  if  he 
were  given  a  chance.  But  when  he  was  made 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  81 

to  understand  that  his  freedom  was  dependent 
upon  the  acceptance  of  these  conditions,  he  con 
sented.  I  am  a  poor  working  man  myself," 
said  Larson,  "and  I  am  going  among  my 
countrymen  to  raise  a  fund,  but  thus  far  with 
a  very  meagre  result.  All  my  acquaintances 
are  working  men,  like  myself,  and  of  course 
they  can  spare  but  little." 

Mrs.  Lawson  asked  for  an  introduction  to 
Henson  and  intimated  that  if  she  should  find 
things  as  Larson  said,  she  would  contribute  to 
the  fund.  Together  with  Larson  she  went  to 
see  Henson  in  his  ward  and  found  a  miserable 
wreck  of  humanity.  As  far  as  she  could  judge 
the  man  spoke  rationally,  but  his  bodily  health 
seemed  very  poor.  "He  was  much  better  phy 
sically  and  mentally  a  few  weeks  ago,"  ex 
plained  Mr.  Larson,  "his  disappointment  after 
having  been  promised  his  freedom  has  weigh 
ed  heavily  upon  his  mind  and  sapped  the 
strength  of  his  body."  Mrs.  Lawson  was  deep 
ly  touched.  She  told  Larson  that  she  would 
contribute  any  sum  needed  to  complete  the 
fund  necessary  to  send  Henson  to  Sweden,  but 
she  expressed  great  doubt  whether  in  his  pre 
sent  condition  he  could  stand  the  voyage.  Mr. 
Larson  then  had  a  long  conversation  with  the 
doctor,  and  this  gentleman  promised  that  he 
would  give  the  case  his  most  careful  considera 
tion.  The  next  thing  she  heard  of  the  case  was, 
when  in  a  letter  from  Larson,  she  was  told  that 
Henson  had  been  transferred  against  his  wishes 
to  the  asylum  at  Medfield  and  had  been  put  in 
one  of  the  worst  wards  of  that  place,  and  that 
in  consequence  his  condition  was  now  worse 
than  it  ever  was  before. 


82  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Faithful  to  her  promise  to  examine  life  at 
the  bottom,  Mrs.  Lawson  took  many  walks  in 
the  poorer  quarters  of  the  City  of  Boston.  The 
sights  she  met  sometimes  beggared  description. 
Filth  and  flouting  lewdness,  abject  poverty  and 
want  met  her  eyes  unaccustomed  to  such 
things.  What  touched  her  most  was  the  sight 
of  children  growing  up  under  such  conditions. 
Sometimes  she  saw  little  urchins  dragging 
home  boxes  and  boards  for  fire  wood.  Is  there 
not  enough  gas  and  electricity,  she  wondered. 
One  evening  she  went  home  with  one  of  the 
children,  if  the  place  found  could  be  designat 
ed  by  such  an  honorable  and  pleasant  sounding 
word.  She  found  but  one  room,  in  which  lived 
a  family  of  six.  Gas  there  was  none  in  the 
building.  A  stove  was  used  for  cooking,  sum 
mer  and  winter.  Coal  was  dear  and  the  children 
were  sent  out  in  the  street  to  gather  wood.  The 
day  was  warm,  people  were  sweltering  in  the 
street;  over  twenty,  according  to  the  papers, 
had  died  from  sun  stroke  the  day  before ;  yet 
these  people  had  to  use  a  wood  fire  to  cook  their 
food.  The  heat  in  the  room  was  stifling  beyond 
endurance.  Mrs.  Lawson  threw  her  purse  up 
on  the  table,  overpowered  by  inward  emotion 
and  quickly  left  the  premises.  Gas  and  elec 
tricity,  she  reflected,  are  not  yet  for  the  poor. 
These  benefits  of  civilization  seem  not  yet  to 
have  reached  the  bottom  of  the  social  strata. 

One  day  on  one  of  her  tours  of  investigation 
she  was  walking  in  the  lower  part  of  Washing 
ton  Street  and  had  just  passed  Dover,  when 
out  of  a  house  she  saw  emerging  a  woman 
with  a  baby  in  her  arms.  The  sorrowful  look 
on  the  woman's  face  attracted  her  attention, 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  83 

but  before  she  could  come  near  enough  to 
make  inquiries  the  person  had  disappeared. 
But,  somehow  or  other,  the  sorrowful  look  and 
the  little  baby's  face  remained  before  her  men 
tal  eye  the  whole  day,  and  by  an  unaccount 
able  impulse  she  was  forced  to  go  again  to  that 
neighborhood  late  at  night.  Hardly  had  she 
reached  the  place  where  she  had  seen  the 
scene  of  the  morning,  when  she  again  saw  the 
woman  and  baby.  The  woman  looked  so 
weary,  the  sorrowful  look  on  the  face  seemed 
even  deeper  than  in  the  morning;  Mrs.  Law- 
son  approached  her  with  a  friendly  greeting. 
The  woman  became  startled,  frightened,  evi 
dently  she  was  not  used  to  kind  words  or  a 
friendly  interest.  The  wretched  see  danger 
everywhere.  It  would  seem  that,  since  their 
conditions  can  hardly  become  worse,  any  un- 
looked  for  interest  should  instill  a  feeling  of 
hope,  but  such  usually  is  not  the  case.  The 
mind  accustomed  to  misfortune  ceases  to  ac 
cept  something  good  and  everything  new 
arouses  fear  and  alarm.  Upon  inquiry  Mrs. 
Lawson  learned  that  the  woman  had  walked 
the  whole  day  with  the  baby  in  her  arms  in 
search  of  a  friend  in  Roslindale,  who  she 
thought  might  help  her  and  in  fact  she  had 
received  from  that  friend  a  quarter.  "I  did  not 
dare  to  spend  a  nickel  out  of  that  for  carfare," 
the  woman  explained;  "you  cannot  get  a  lodg 
ing  for  less  than  twenty-five  cents.  Even  as  it 
is  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  a  room.  People 
do  not  want  the  baby.  They  think  it  might 
cry."  Mrs.  Lawson  looked  at  the  tiny  baby 
which  looked  even  too  weak  to  cry. 


84  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Why  don't  you  put  the  baby  into  an 
asylum?" 

"I  wanted  to  do  so,  but  the  priest  wanted  to 
see  my  marriage  license,  and  I  did  not  have  it 
with  me,"  said  the  woman  with  a  deep  blush 
on  her  face.  Mrs.  Lawson  wondered  whether 
the  teachings  of  the  Nazarene  given  in  the 
story  of  Mary  Magdalene  had  been  lost  al 
together  upon  the  modernized  Catholic 
Church.  She  gave  the  woman  quite  a  consid 
erable  sum  of  money  to  provide  for  her  im 
mediate  wants  and  then  instructed  Benvin  to 
provide  for  further  needs. 

Mrs.  Lawson  recognized  by  this  time  that 
politics  or  government  was  more  deeply  con 
nected  with  the  wellbeing  of  the  people  than  she 
formerly  supposed.  This  conviction  had  led 
her  to  take  quite  an  interest  in  current  politics. 
But  a  good  many  things  seemed  inexplicable. 
Mr.  Morgan,  to  whom  she  communicated  her 
perplexities,  advised  the  study  of  history.  "The 
mind  of  man,"  he  wrote,  "receives  its  most 
valuable  guidance  from  the  study  of  three 
things;  language,  mathematics  and  history.  As 
to  which  of  the  three  is  the  most  important, 
teachers  differ.  Language  is  our  vehicle  of 
thought,  mathematics  trains  the  mind  for  cor 
rect  reasoning  and  history  gives  us  knowledge 
of  man,  of  the  evolution  and  development  of 
the  human  race.  The  schools  do  but  scanty 
justice  to  this  subject.  It  nearly  seems  there 
is  a  conscious  purpose  underlying  their  meth 
od  of  teaching  or  rather  mis-teaching  history. 
Nearly  all  they  require  is  the  memorizing  of 
events  and  the  dates  of  their  occurence.  In 
monarchial  countries,  I  understand,  the  child- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  85 

ren  merely  learn  by  heart  the  date  of  accession 
of  each  ruler  and  his  demise,  together  with  the 
history  of  their  countries'  wars  and  battles 
won ;  the  lost  ones  are  usually  passed  over  in 
silence.  The  underlying  causes  of  wars  and  of 
the  changes  in  the  structure  of  society  are 
either  not  touched  at  all  or  presented  in  a  dis 
torted  light.  I  can  understand  why  Kings  do 
not  like  the  people  to  understand  too  much  of 
life  and  government,  but  when  in  a  Republic 
the  same  method  is  used  it  is  indicative  that 
the  people  have  lost  control  of  the  government. 
One  of  the  best  books  on  history,  I  think,  is 
Seligman's  Economic  Interpretation  of  His 
tory.  From  a  superficial  reading  of  history 
it  would  appear  that  all  men  fought  for  was 
glory  or  fame,  but  a  deeper  look  will  reveal 
the  fact  that  the  acts  of  men  have  a  more  sub 
stantial  basis.  Men  fought  for  the  best  hunt 
ing  ground,  for  the  best  pasture  lands,  for  the 
best  field  adapted  for  agriculture,  just  the  same 
as  you  see  them  contend  today  and  sometimes 
fight  for  the  best  markets.  And  just  as  the  re 
lations  between  nation  and  nation  have  a  very 
material  basis,  so  has  the  internal  development 
of  the  country.  Here  also  we  see  classes  or  sets 
of  men  contend  for  the  best  seats  at  the  ban 
quet  table.  In  the  struggles  between  Patricians 
and  Plebians  or  Spartan  Helot  we  see  fore 
shadowed  the  politics  of  our  own  time.  If  you 
will  examine  carefully  the  records  of  the  past, 
the  panorama  of  life,  especially  politics,  will 
cease  to  be  a  riddle." 

She  resolved  to  follow  John's  advice  al 
though  she  saw  that  it  involved  a  great  pains 
taking  effort  and  a  good  deal  of  time. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

REFORM    IN    NEW   YORK 

When  she  first  came  to  Boston  the  papers 
were  full  of  a  political  campaign  waged  in 
New  York.  According  to  the  paper  the  fight 
was  between  the  forces  of  good  government 
and  reform,  and  the  followers  of  corruption 
led  by  notorious  Tammany  Hall.  The  whole 
country  had  been  aroused  and  seemed  to  take 
an  interest  in  the  outcome.  Nearly  all  the 
papers  had  sided  with  the  forces  of  reform, 
the  very  word  Tammany  was  used  as  a  by 
word  for  infamy  and  corruption.  Now  New 
York  was  to  be  cleaned  from  that  cesspool  and 
to  the  lasting  benefit  of  the  whole  country  the 
influences  of  Tammany  over  state  and 
national  politics  were  to  be  broken.  Success 
attended  these  mighty  efforts.  The  forces  of 
reform  obtained  a  glorious  victory  and  nearly 
all  the  papers  burst  forth  in  joyous  exultation 
over  the  triumph  of  law  and  order  and  good 
government.  Mrs.  Lawson  had  become  inter 
ested  herself  in  the  struggle  and  felt  much 
pleased  over  the  success  of  the  good  cause. 
The  reform  administration  had  now  been  in 
control  lor  several  months  and  she  decided  to 
see  with  her  own  eyes  the  benefits  of  the  new 
reform.  When  she  arrived  in  New  York  she 
took  rooms  in  a  quiet  and  secluded  apartment 
house.  Unaccompanied  she  visited  the  various 
86 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  87 

sections  of  the  metropolis  of  the  New  World. 
Her  mind  became  more  and  more  impressed 
by  the  contrast  between  rich  and  poor.  There 
seemed  to  be  two  different  worlds,  one  of 
which  knew  little  of  the  other.  The  greater 
the  magnificence  on  one  side,  the  greater  the 
wretchedness  on  the  other,  the  greater  the 
wealth  and  luxury  of  one,  the  greater  the  pen 
ury  and  want  of  the  other.  The  condition  of 
the  two  seemed  to  stand  in  an  inverse  ratio. 
Several  times  she  strolled  through  the  Ghetto. 
She  saw  the  letters  spoken  five  thousand  years 
ago  by  a  people  who  now  lived  in  the  most  ab 
ject  poverty  and  degradation;  she  saw  the  des 
cendants  of  the  proud  Romans  share  the  fate 
and  fortune  of  the  children  of  Zion.  She 
mused  over  the  strange  ways  of  fate  and  won 
dered  whether  there  were  not  an  inward  con 
nection  not  recognized  by  the  physical  eye,  a 
hidden  bond  that  links  together  the  fate  of  in 
dividuals  and  of  nations. 

One  day  while  walking  through  Madison 
Square  Garden  she  was  startled  by  what  seem 
ed  to  be  the  piercing  cries  of  a  little  boy. 
Walking  towards  the  direction  from  which  the 
sounds  came  she  soon  found  herself  in  a 
crowd  of  people  who  were  all  running  the 
same  way.  Her  aristocratic  instinct  made  her 
shrink  from  contact  with  a  promiscuous  crowd 
but  she  had  come  to  learn  and  she  repressed 
her  inward  reluctance  and  mingled  freely  with 
the  curious  throng.  Soon  she  came  to  a  spot 
where  a  large  crowd  surrounded  a  big  police 
man  who  held  a  little  urchin  not  over  three 
feet  tall  by  the  collar  in  a  threatening  attitude 
and  threatened  to  bring  him  to  the  station.  The 


88  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

poor  child  cried  so  piteously  for  his  release 
and  for  another  chance,  he  promised  so  be 
seechingly  never  to  do  it  again  that  some  of 
the  by-standers  were  touched  and  they  inter 
ceded  with  the  officer  to  give  the  boy  another 
chance.  The  guardian  of  the  law  at  first  was 
obdurate  but  finally  yielded  to  their  entreaties 
and  the  boy  ran  away.  Somebody  then  asked 
what  the  boy  had  done  and  he  was  told  that 
the  rascal  had  tried  to  sell  candy  in  the  park. 
"I  caught  him  at  it  once  before,"  the  officer 
added,  "and  gave  him  a  warning.  I  cannot  be 
so  easy  now,  we  have  a  reform  administration 
and  things  are  very  strict  just  at  present." 
Mrs.  Lawson  had  been  a  silent  spectator.  At 
a  short  distance  she  could  see  the  little  ragged 
urchin.  She  signalled  to  a  cab  and  ordered  the 
driver  to  drive  in  the  direction  of  the  boy. 
When  the  cab  had  caught  up  to  him  she  alight 
ed  and  went  to  the  boy  and  offered  to  buy 
some  candy.  The  little  boy  eyed  her  suspi 
ciously;  yet  so  young  he  had  learned  to  fear 
the  police  and  suspect  their  tricks.  He  looked 
at  her  piteously  as  she  held  out  to  him  a  dollar 
bill,  but  he  did  not  dare  take  it.  He  knew  it 
was  against  the  law  to  peddle  his  wares  on  the 
streets.  She  then  asked  him  to  step  into  her 
carriage  but  he  began  to  tremble.  He  evident 
ly  feared  some  hidden  motive.  What  pictures 
could  his  frightened  imagination  put  before  his 
mental  eye?  They  walked  together  quite  a 
while.  She  questioned  him  about  his  mama 
and  papa,  when  she  noticed  that  they  were  at 
tracting  attention.  It  was  not  a  common  sight 
in  New  York  to  see  an  elegantly  dressed, 
beautiful  woman  hold  familiar  conversation 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  89 

on  the  public  thoroughfare  with  a  ragged 
street  urchin  and  she  overheard  all  kinds  of 
comments.  "I  will  go  with  you  to  mama  and  I 
will  give  her  something  nice,"  she  promised. 
The  boy  had  gained  confidence  and  he  follow 
ed  her  into  the  carriage.  When  asked  for  the 
street  where  his  mama  lived  he  gave  Essex 
Street.  After  a  short  ride  they  came  to 
the  house.  She  dismissed  the  carriage  and 
with  the  little  boy  climbed  about  six  stories  to 
the  top  of  the  building.  The  odors  emanating 
from  rooms  and  corridors  were  nearly  suffo 
cating,  but  firm  and  resolute  she  climbed  on. 
What  a  tiny  boy  could  stand  all  his  life  she 
ought  to  be  able  to  endure  for  a  short  time  at 
least.  They  finally  reached  the  home  of  the 
boy.  They  came  into  a  dark  room  and  at  first 
she  had  difficulty  to  distinguish  the  objects. 
She  saw  something  that  looked  like  a  window, 
but  it  admitted  but  a  faint  light.  The  law  in 
New  York  requires  a  window  for  each  room, 
but  this  window  seemed  to  open  into  a  court 
from  which  the  light  was  not  better  than  the 
interior  of  the  house.  The  landlord  had  com 
plied  with  the  letter  of  the  law.  Gradually,  as 
her  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  semi  dark 
ness,  she  recognized  a  bed,  a  stove,  a  table  and 
a  chair.  In  the  bed  something  seemed  to  move. 
She  aproached  and  saw  a  lean  and  haggard 
woman  with  a  baby  in  her  arms.  The  features 
of  the  woman  still  bore  traces  of  what  must 
have  been  more  than  ordinary  good  looks  and 
even  now  there  remained  some  traces  of  re 
finement  quite  out  of  harmony  with  the  abject 
surroundings.  The  woman  in  the  bed  did  not 
seem  especially  surprised  at  the  presence  of  her 


go  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

elegant  visitor.  She  answered  Mrs.  Lawson's 
questions  in  a  matter  of  fact  way,  that  her 
husand  who  had  been  a  trainman  on  the  rail 
road  had  been  killed  through  an  accident,  a 
little  over  a  year  ago;  she  spoke  of  her  efforts 
to  support  herself  and  four  small  children,  she 
related  how  she  had  fallen  sick  and  was  ex 
pelled  from  her  last  lodging  because  she  could 
not  pay  the  rent  and  concluded  that  she  felt 
that  her  time  would  soon  be  over  and,  "The 
sooner  the  better/'  she  added,  "for  when  I  am 
dead  you  people  will  have  to  take  care  of  my 
little  ones."  Mrs.  Lawson  in  surprise  asked 
who  she  thought  she  was  and  received  the 
answer,  "I  suppose  an  agent  of  the  woman's 
aid  society.  One  was  here  last  week,  and  ask 
ed  all  kinds  of  questions  just  like  you  and  a 
day  later  we  got  a  few  quarts  of  beans,  a 
pound  of  coffee  and  two  loaves  of  bread,  but 
the  beans  and  the  bread  did  not  last  long  with 
four  hungry  mouths  to  feed.  God  knows  I  ate 
but  little  of  it.  Some  good  man,"  she  contin 
ued,  "stocked  my  eldest  boy  with  a  supply  of 
candy  to  sell,  but  he  is  very  much  afraid  of  the 
police.  Since  the  new  mayor  is  in  they  are 
very  cross  to  newsboys  and  peddler  folks. 
Tammany  was  never  so  hard  on  the  poor  as 
they  are  now." 

Mrs.  Lawson  said  nothing.  With  great  dif 
ficulty  she  kept  the  tears  from  running  down 
her  cheeks.  My  God,  was  it  possible?  was  this 
a  sample  of  the  great  reform  movement  of 
which  she  had  read  so  much  in  the  papers?  She 
repressed  her  emotion  and  explained  to  the 
woman  that  she  was  an  entire  stranger  in  New 
York,  that  she  was  not  connected  with  any 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  91 

charity  organization,  official  or  private,  that 
she  had  met  the  little  boy  by  chance,  that  for 
some  reason  she  could  not  explain  herself,  had 
come  with  him  to  see  his  mama. 

"I  am  fairly  rich,"  she  continued,  "  I  will 
see  that  you  get  food  for  yourself  and  child 
ren,  and  suitable  lodgings  and  when  you  are 
well  again  I  think  I  can  get  you  a  place,  so  that 
you  can  support  the  children  if  you  want  to 
keep  them,  or  things  can  be  managed  to  get 
them  into  a  good  home." 

The  poor  woman  gasped,  she  could  not  find 
words  to  express  her  feelings  or  ideas.  "Are 
you  an  angel  from  heaven?"  she  finally  ex 
claimed,  in  a  trembling  voice. 

"I  might  be  and  I  hope  I  am  an  agent  of  such 
a  place."  She  stayed  with  the  woman  a  few 
minutes  longer  and  asked  her  to  be  of  good 
hope  for  Providence  had  caused  them  to  meet. 

"I  believe  again  in  God,"  the  poor  woman 
cried,  "I  had  lost  all  faith  when  I  saw  my  poor 
children  starving." 

"Have  faith  and  trust  in  God,  He  watches 
and  sees  everything.  I  found  that  out  myself." 
Mrs.  Lawson  gave  the  boy  a  sum  of  money 
sufficient  for  immediate  wants  and  went  home 
very  thoughtful.  To  her  mind  came  the 
scene  described  in  "Les  Miserables,"  of  Gav- 
roche  and  the  waifs  in  Paris.  So  Hugo  had 
not  overdrawn  his  picture  after  all.  The  words 
of  Gavroche,  "Now  you  are  safe,  safe  from 
the  police,"  had  a  deep  significance  not  only  in 
Paris  a  hundred  years  ago  but  in  the  New 
York  of  the  Twentieth  Century. 

But  in  what  did  these  so  loudly  heralded  re 
forms  of  the  new  administration  consist?  Was 


92  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

it  confined  to  the  scaring  of  little  children? 
Were  there  no  other  and  better  results?  She 
wrote  a  letter  to  Berwin  and  explained  the  sit 
uation,  and  asked  his  advice  how  she  could 
secure  evidence  of  the  work  of  the  present  re 
form  administration  in  New  York.  Berwin 
wrote  her  to  see  a  lawyer  named  McCarty  who 
he  said,  was  quite  a  politician  and  familiar 
with  New  York  conditions  and  politics. 

Mrs.  Lawson  called  at  this  gentleman's  of 
fice.  She  told  him  that  he  had  been  recom 
mended  by  Mr.  Berwin  and  then  stated  her 
errand,  to  get  information  on  the  subject  of 
the  benefits  to  New  York  of  the  present  re 
form  administration.  McCarty  looked  at  her 
in  amazement.  The  expression  on  his  face 
seemed  to  waver  between  a  doubt  as  to  her 
earnestness  of  purpose  and  the  sanity  of  her 
mind.  After  his  look  had  reassured  him  of 
both,  he  laughed  heartily,  in  fact  he  seemed  to 
have  great  difficulty  to  keep  a  serious  face. 
"So  my  friend  Berwin  sent  you  to  get  informa 
tion  about  the  benefits  of  the  reform  govern 
ment.  I  am  really  sorry  that  I  have  to  disap 
point  you  for  even  the  devil,  (please  excuse 
the  mention  of  that  gentleman's  name)  cannot 
get  anything  from  a  man  that  has  nothing." 

"Well,  have  there  been  no  results  what 
ever?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  he  replied  with  a  half  cynical  and 
amused  smile  playing  around  his  lips.  "Let 
me  see  if  I  can  explain  things  briefly  and  con 
cisely.  In  the  last  political  campaign,  Madam, 
there  were  four  main  issues,  the  so  called 
social  evil,  the  liquor  question,  and  the  gam 
bling  business  together  with  charges  of  briber}-. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  93 

I  cannot  give  you  too  many  details  about  the 
solution  of  the  first  issue  for  you  are  a  lady. 
I  can  tell  you  the  main  and  as  far  as  I  can  see 
the  only  effect.  You  will  have  noticed  that  on 
every  corner  on  Third  Avenue  between 
Eighth  and  Twenty  Fifth  Street  as  likewise  on 
some  other  corners  there  is  a  kind  of  saloon 
and  hotel.  A  certain  class  of  houses  having 
been  closed  by  the  police,  business  in  these 
hotel  saloons  has  improved  to  such  an  extent 
through  the  efforts  of  the  new  reformers  that 
the  landlords  have  been  enabled  to  double  the 
rent. 

"The  second  issue,  on  Sundays  all  saloons 
are  now  closed  in  front  and  patrons  must 
enter  from  the  side  or  back  door,  growlers 
must  be  wrapped  in  paper.  Oh,  don't  you 
understand  New  York  slang,"  as  he  recognized 
a  blank  look  in  Mrs.  Lawson's  eyes.  "The 
growler  is  a  pitcher  that  is  used  for  carrying 
beer.  In  the  so  called  Raines  Hotels  the  prop 
rietors  get  their  waiters  now  for  nothing  on 
Sunday,  they  can  keep  the  sandwich  money." 
In  answer  to  another  surprised  look  from  his 
fair  listener  McCarty  explained  that  on  Sun 
days  liquor  could  only  be  served  with  meals. 
"They  order  a  sandwich,  an  egg  or  something 
of  that  sort.  The  sandwich  is  understood  to  be 
merely  for  show,  and  the  customers  are  suppos 
ed  to  understand  this.  They  recognize  that  the 
first  glass  of  beer  is  ten  cents,  besides  the  egg 
is  usually  quite  old  and  the  sandwich  too  hard 
to  be  eaten.  The  egg  or  sandwich  is  supposed 
to  do  service  for  the  next  comers.  "I  heard  a 
funny  story  the  other  day,"  he  continued  with 
a  sardonic  smile;  "a  man  from  Missouri  want- 


94  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ed  to  eat  his  sandwich  some  Sunday.  The 
waiter,  who  saw  what  he  deemed  his  rightful 
wages  disappear  between  the  jaws  of  his 
customer,  got  angry,  an  altercation  started  and 
the  farmer  was  thrown  out. 

"There  remains  the  gambling  issue.  Well 
these  men  have  to  be  a  little  more  careful, 
make  a  little  less  noise  and  pay  twice  the 
amount  of  hush  money  to  the  police  and  politi 
cians." 

"And  is  that  really  all  this  reform  adminis 
tration  is  doing?" 

"That  is  all  I  can  see,"  replied  the  genial 
Mr.  McCarty. 

"Well  what  is  your  fee  for  the  informa 
tion?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson  as  she  rose  to 
leave. 

"Well  I  don't  see  how  my  information  will 
do  you  or  anybody  else  much  good.  You  have 
taken  a  little  of  my  time,  it  is  true,  but  I  think 
I  had  better  not  consider  this  short  and  to  me 
pleasant  conversation  as  a  professional  or 
business  transaction."  She  thanked  Mr. 
McCarty  for  his  kindness  and  left  in  a  very 
thoughtful  mood. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


JOHN    B.    MORAN 

Having  ascertained  the  benefits  of  the  Re 
publican  Reform  Administration  in  New  York 
Mrs.  Lawson  returned  to  Boston.  When  she 
arrived  she  learned  that  quite  an  important 
political  campaign  was  under  way.  The  Dis 
trict  Attorney,  a  man  named  Smith  who  had 
held  his  position  for  over  twenty  five  years 
had  suddenly  died  and  his  death  necessitated 
a  new  election.  The  late  Smith  had  been  of  a 
very  conservative  nature,  he  had  made  it  the 
rule  of  his  office  never  to  take  the  initiative  in 
any  prosecution  and  only  accept  cases  that  had 
gone  through  the  lower  courts.  Rumors  of 
bribery  and  corruption  in  high  or  low  places 
never  disturbed  his  equilibrium,  grafting  poli 
ticians  were  never  alarmed  about  any  activity 
emanating  from  the  office  of  the  district  attor 
ney.  The  papers  had  always  sung  his  praises 
and  after  his  demise  nothing  but  words  of  eu 
logy  and  services  faithfully  performed  were  to 
be  found  in  the  public  press.  Smith  had  been  a 
special  favorite  of  the  two  political  parties  and 
of  the  public  service  corporations  and  for 
many  years  no  contest  was  even  waged  for  his 
position.  With  the  open  support  of  the  press 
and  the  politicians  of  both  parties  any  attempt 
to  beat  him  at  the  polls  was  considered  hope 
less  by  the  aspirants  for  the  emoluments  of 
95 


96  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

that  office.  Smith's  death  was  deeply  regretted 
by  the  politicians.  When  they  deliberated  up 
on  the  selection  of  a  worthy  successor  their 
choice  fell  upon  Smith's  assistant  a  man  named 
Slowfoot.  Both  parties  thus  agreeing  upon  the 
same  candidate  his  election  was  considered  by 
all  a  foregone  conclusion.  But  the  unexpected 
happens  sometimes  in  politics. 

There  lived  somewhere  in  Boston,  sometimes 
called  unjustly,  it  seemed  tc  Mrs.  Lawson,  the 
Athens  of  the  West,  a  man  named  John  B. 
Moran,  who  had  quite  a  reputation  as  a  crim 
inal  lawyer.  In  politics  on  account  of  strong 
individual  tendencies  he  was  considered  quite 
erratic,  as  a  man  who  could  never  be  relied  up 
on  by  either  side  and  politicians  looked  with 
askance  at  the  political  aspirations  of  John  B. 
as  he  was  called  by  all.  But  John  B.  had  long 
looked  with  covetous  eyes  at  the  office  of  dis 
trict  attorney  or  the  mayoralty.  When  Smith 
died  John  B.  thought  that  his  time  had  come 
and  he  calculated  that  if  he  could  get  the  nom 
ination  of  either  party,  the  Republican  or  Dem 
ocratic,  his  chances  for  election  were  good, 
that  his  own  personality  and  forceful 
eloquence  could  easily  do  the  rest.  His  usual 
affiliation  was  on  the  side  of  Democracy  and 
he  made  use  of  all  the  wires  known  to  an  old 
politician  in  order  to  get  the  nomination  of  his 
party,  but  the  strong  influence  emanating  from 
the  conservative  element  and  the  weight  of 
powerful  financial  interests  won  the  day  and 
his  candidacy  was  rejected.  Nothing  daunted, 
John  B.  offered  himself  to  the  Republican 
party.  He  pointed  out  to  them  that  it  would 
be  a  great  triumph  for  them  as  a  minority 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  97 

party  to  elect  their  candidate.  He  assured  them 
that  he  held  in  his  own  hand  sufficiently  strong 
cards  to  insure  his  election  on  their  tickets. 
But  the  Republican  politicians  looked  askance 
at  the  promises  of  John  B.  The  words  Repub 
lican  or  Democratic  had  no  special  significance 
for  them,  neither  did  they  care  very  much  for 
a  party  victory.  Smith's  assistant,  who  had 
promised  to  continue  the  policies  of  his  pred 
ecessor,  was  good  enough  for  them.  They  did 
not  care  to  take  any  risks. 

But  John  B.  was  a  fighter.  He  had  nothing 
to  lose  even  by  defeat.  The  advertising 
secured  through  a  vigorous  campaign  would  be 
a  valuable  business  asset  even  in  case  of  fail 
ure.  Free  from  obligation  to  any  political  or 
ganization,  he  bravely  unfurled  his  standard 
and  called  upon  all  citizens,  upon  the  virtuous 
and  honest  of  both  parties,  to  assemble  under 
his  banner.  He  had  been  on  the  inside  of  poli 
tics  for  a  long  time.  He  had  many  stories  to 
tell  of  incompetence  and  corruption  of  which 
the  public  had  heretofore  heard  nothing. 
Several  atrocious  crimes  recently  committed 
and  still  unpunished  had  created  some  public 
resentment  and  dissatisfaction  with  the  office 
of  district  attorney.  John  B.  made  it  a  special 
feature  of  his  campaign  to  point  out  violations 
of  the  law  in  high  places  unpunished  by  the 
constituted  authorities.  His  strongest  card 
was  the  violation  of  the  liquor  law  by  the  most 
prominent  hotel  in  the  city,  the  Billion  House. 
The  liquor  law  of  Massachusetts  was  quite 
severe  and  its  provisions  were  most  strictly  en 
forced  against  the  small  saloon  keepers  by  the 
Republican  State  Government.  The  conserva- 


98  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

tive  element  of  that  party  always  denounced 
in  strongest  terms  the  iniquities  of  the  liquor 
traffic  and  moralized  upon  the  demoralizing 
effect  it  had  upon  the  whole  community.  John 
B.  Moran  declared  everywhere  that  if  the  peo 
ple  would  entrust  him  with  the  power  of  office 
he  would  soon  reduce  to  humble  submission  the 
rich  violators  of  the  law  and  that  under  his  ad 
ministration  the  arm  of  justice  would  smite  all 
transgressors  of  the  law  and  make  justice  and 
equity  reign  supreme  in  their  beloved  city. 
John  B.  was  an  old  campaigner,  he  knew  the 
tricks  of  politicians ;  he  was  the  son  of  an  Irish 
emigrant,  and  the  population  of  Boston  being 
of  that  nationality  with  over  sixty  per  cent, 
this  was  a  valuable  argument ;  but  the  organiz 
ed  forces  of  the  city  government  were  hostile 
to  him.  The  press  hardly  took  any  notice  of  his 
campaign,  with  the  exception  of  one  evening 
paper  which  remained  neutral  in  the  struggle, 
not  caring  to  espouse  his  candidacy  and  to 
share  the  ignominy  of  his  defeat,  which  was  not 
doubted  by  friend  or  foe.  John  B.  had  no 
financial  resources.  All  the  money  he  could 
raise  for  his  campaign  was  a  two  thousand 
dollar  loan  on  his  insurance  policy.  But  the 
people  had  heard  something  of  the  great  things 
accomplished  in  New  York  by  a  new  wonder 
ful  reform  administration.  Even  ideas  are 
sometimes  contagious  and  many  thought  that 
they  would  follow  the  example  of  New  York 
and  have  also  a  taste  of  reform.  Thus  to  the 
surprise  of  all  John  B.  Moran  received  the 
majority  of  votes  cast  for  district  attorney. 

Slowfoot    and    his    advisers    had    felt    them 
selves   so   secure   of   victory   that   they   did   not 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  99 

even  deem  it  necessary  to  reply  to  the  charges 
of  Mr.  Moran.  So  Boston  woke  up  one  fine 
morning  and  realized  that  it  had  entered  the 
paths  of  reform  in  the  administration  of  jus 
tice.  The  papers  who  had  either  ignored  or 
ridiculed  Moran's  pretensions,  who  had  called 
him  unsound,  erratic  and  unsafe  now  called 
him  the  man  who  dares. 

At  first  John  B.  seemed  fully  to  justify  the 
confidence  of  the  people.  He  went  to  work 
with  a  vim  that  surprised  his  most  staunch 
supporters.  The  Hotel  Billion  House  was 
promptly  indicted.  The  points  of  the  law  were 
so  clear  and  plain,  its  violation  had  been  so 
open  and  fragrant  that  not  even  a  subsidized 
and  corrupted  press  dared  to  make  an  open 
defense.  All  they  could  do  was  to  make  apol 
ogies  and  use  extenuating  terms  and  point  out 
the  great  amount  of  taxes  paid  by  the  proprie 
tor  of  the  hotel. 

Great  indeed  was  the  dilemma  of  the  rulers 
of  Massachusetts.  They  could  not  tell  the 
common  people  openly  that  the  law  ought  not 
to  be  the  same  for  the  rich  as  for  the  poor. 
They  did  not  dare  to  claim  special  privileges 
for  the  liquor  appetite  of  the  rich  while  de 
nouncing  in  press  and  pulpit  the  unfortunate 
craving  for  alcohol  by  the  working  class.  Peo 
ple  wondered  and  bets  were  freely  made  upon 
the  result.  Some  thought  that  Moran  would 
recall  his  hounds  for  a  consideration,  but  those 
who  knew  John  B.  personally,  knew  better. 
John  B.  cared  nothing  for  mere  money,  he 
wanted  power  and  his  unexpected  success  had 
greatly  inflated  his  political  aspirations,  and  he 
really  did  his  best  to  make  Billion  House  com- 


ioo  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ply  with  the  provisions  of  the  law.  Whether 
even  he  expected  to  succeed  is  another  ques 
tion.  The  main  object  to  a  legalized  liquor 
business  by  Billion  House  was  its  too  close 
proximity  to  a  public  school  house,  the  so  call 
ed  Northrop  school.  Soon  the  politicians  of 
both  parties  wondered  why  they  had  not  long 
ago  thought  of  a  remedy  that  lay  so  near  at 
hand.  Billion  House  could  not  do  a  profitable 
business  without  a  liquor  license.  What  was 
necessary  therefore,  and  in  fact  the  most 
simple  thing  in  the  world  was  to  close  the 
school  and  transfer  the  pupils  to  some  other 
building.  The  knot  which  seemed  so  compli 
cated  unravelled  itself. 

One  fine  morning  with  strange  unanimity  all 
the  papers  of  Boston  brought  out  lengthy  ar 
ticles  on  the  dilapidation  and  unfitness  for  hab 
itation  of  the  school  building  that  stood  so  near 
the  Billion  House.  Some  papers  went  so  far  as 
to  declare  that  the  condition  of  the  building 
was  an  imminent  danger  to  the  lives  of  the 
school  and  casual  passers  by.  They  demanded 
in  the  strongest  terms  the  immediate  evacua 
tion  of  the  building  and  the  removal  of  the 
children  from  their  dangerous  position.  The 
only  thing  that  surprised  the  thoughtful  read 
er  was,  that  this  dangerous  condition  should 
not  have  been  detected  before,  and  that  thou 
sands  of  children  should  have  been  left  expos 
ed  to  such  palpable  dangers  and  that  it  had  re 
quired  the  need  of  the  Billion  House  for  a  li 
quor  license  to  make  manifest  the  unsafe  and 
unfit  condition  of  the  school  building. 

Mrs.  Lawson  wondered  what  the  final  result 
would  be.  The  latest  move  of  the  friends 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  101 

of  the  Billion  House  was  a  surprise  to 
many.  Would  it  not  be  an  unprecedented 
scandal  and  a  great  political  blunder  to  close 
the  school  house  to  save  a  liquor  license.  What 
effect  must  such  a  thing  have  upon  the  com 
mon  people?  The  excuse  of  the  building's  dil 
apidation  was  too  thin  not  to  be  seen  through 
by  the  most  unsophisticated. 

And  sure  enough  the  men  at  the  helm 
changed  their  attitude.  The  condition  of  the 
school  was  no  longer  discussed  in  the  news 
papers.  But  a  bill  was  introduced  in  the  legis 
lature  to  legalize  the  license  of  Billion  House. 
There  was  a  clause  in  the  constitution  of 
Massachusetts  that  the  legislature  must  not 
make  sectional  laws,  so  words  had  to  be  insert 
ed  to  make  the  law  applicable  in  the  whole 
state,  whenever  certain  specifications  were  ful 
filled.  That  these  specifications  at  present  ap 
plied  to  one  place  only  and  might  never  to  any 
other  did  not  need  any  special  consideration. 
Providing  the  appearance  of  constitutional 
action  could  be  preserved  the  spirit  and  intent 
of  the  constitution  did  not  seem  to  disturb  the 
equanimity  of  Massachusetts  Solons.  The 
school  building  near  Billion  House  is  still  used 
for  the  purpose  it  was  built  for  and  the  papers 
of  Boston  know  nothing  any  more  of  dilapida 
tion  or  danger  to  children  and  passers  by. 
Thus  ended  the  fight  of  John  B.  Moran  against 
Billion  House.  He  had  caused  that  hostelry 
of  the  rich  a  slight  inconvenience  and  unlocked 
for  expenditure  of  money,  for  it  needed  ex 
pensive  eye  glasses  to  see  the  dilapidation  of  a 
newly  built  school  house.  But  the  whole  affair 
gave  Mrs.  Lawson  another  valuable  illustra- 


IO2  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

tion  of  the  power  of  money  in  the  government 
of  our  country.  But  John  B.  had  attained 
his  object,  he  had  increased  his  popularity  in 
general  and  even  raised  himself  in  the  es 
teem  of  Mrs.  Lawson,  for  as  far  as  she  could 
see  he  had  done  his  best  to  enforce  the  law  and 
redeem  his  promise. 

In  handbills  distributed  during  the  campaign 
John  B.  had  promised  in  the  most  solemn  style 
that  he  would  set  in  motion  the  machinery  of 
justice  whenever  any  violation  of  the  law  was 
brought  to  the  office  of  the  district  attorney. 
Mrs.  Lawson  thought  she  had  sufficient  evi 
dence  of  malpractice  to  justify  legal  action 
and  she  felt  sure  that  an  investigation  would 
bring  out  facts  that  would  result  in  the  convic 
tion  of  the  guilty.  She  discussed  the  subject 
with  Berwin  but  this  gentleman  had  but  little 
hope  of  her  being  successful  in  enlisting  the 
services  of  John  B.  "John  B.  Moran  has  great 
ambitions,"  he  said.  "The  man  who  dares 
will  hardly  dare  to  raise  the  antagonism  which 
such  an  act  as  an  investigation  would  arouse." 

"But  the  people  would  stand  by  him,  their 
favor  would  be  more  than  an  equivalent  for 
the  hostility  of  a  few  politicians." 

"The  people  are  led,  they  are  gullible.  John 
B.  caught  the  politicians  napping  once,  he  him 
self  hardly  expects  to  repeat  this  performance. 
He  will  try  to  conciliate  them  and  to  quiet 
their  apprehension  in  the  hope  that  they  in 
turn  will  show  themselves  grateful." 

But  Mrs.  Lawson  determined  to  test  Mr. 
Moran.  It  would  be  an  additional  experience 
and  might  prove  a  valuable  lesson  in  her  new 
life. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  103 

She  went  to  the  court  house  and  to  her 
agreeable  surprise  she  met  with  the  utmost  cor 
dial  reception.  Mr.  Moran  was  a  man  small  in 
stature,  his  personal  appearance  far  from  pre 
possessing,  only  his  eye  had  a  certain  depth 
which  spoke  of  unusual  will  power  and  mental 
concentration.  She  stated  her  case,  gave  him 
the  result  of  her  own  observation  and  handed 
him  the  evidence  collected  from  inmates  and 
attendants.  John  B.  listened  with  close  atten 
tion  and  promised  to  give  the  case  his  most 
careful  consideration  and  to  inform  her  of  his 
decision,  but  never  a  word  came  from  the  office 
of  Mr.  Moran.  In  reply  to  many  solicitations 
from  Mr.  Berwin  he  had  but  one  answer — that 
the  case  was  still  under  advisement. 

But  M'r.  Moran  kept  one  campaign  promise : 
he  was  easy  to  approach,  his  office  remained 
open  to  all  seekers  after  justice.  Mrs.  Lawson 
asked  and  obtained  another  personal  inter 
view. 

"The  evidence  is  not  conclusive.  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  get  an  indictment  from  the  grand 
jury,"  declared  John  B. 

"The  internal  evidence  is  strong,"  insisted 
Mrs.  Lawson,  "other  facts  will  be  brought  out 
in  the  investigation.  Many  inmates  are  afraid 
to  talk  now  but  will  speak  freely  when  they 
feel  the  protection  of  the  law.  The  people 
will  appreciate  your  action  in  behalf  of  the  un 
fortunate  members  of  society." 

"Will  'they?"  answered  Mr.  Moran.  "Did 
you  ever  hear  of  Mr.  Short  a  former  governor 
of  Massachusetts?" 

"No.  I  am  a  stranger  in  Boston." 

"Well  that  man  quite  a  number  of  years  ago 


104  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

did  just  what  you  want  me  to  do.  He  routed 
the  politicians  in  the  first  skirmish  with  the 
frenzied  applause  of  the  common  people  but  his 
chances  as  a  political  leader  were  lost  forever. 
Did  you  ever  read  in  the  history  of  Rome  the 
story  of  the  Gracchi?"  Mrs.  Lawson  looked  up 
in  surprise,  she  was  not  prepared  to  find  a  stu 
dent  of  ancient  history  in  the  person  of  John 
B.  Moran. 

"No." 

"Well,  read  it,  it  will  teach  you  a  valuable 
lesson." 

"Well  will  you  do  nothing  then?  Did  you 
not  promise  to  put  in  motion  the  machinery  of 
justice  at  any  definite  information  of  wrong 
doing?" 

"Yes,  when  in  my  opinion  the  case  will  war 
rant  such  a  proceeding.  I  have  shown  my  sin 
cerity  but  I  owe  something  to  myself  and  my 
future  career." 

"You  speak  now  the  same  kind  of  language 
as  any  ward  politician  and  is  this  worthy  of  the 
man  who  dares?" 

Mr.  Moran  smiled  gratified  at  this  flattering 
appelation.  "I  have  gained  that  reputation 
with  the  people  and  I  expect  from  it  great 
results,  provided  I  do  not  frighten  too  many 
vested  interests.  You  are  a  millionairess  your 
self,  I  understand,  and  you  ought  to  know 
what  your  class  is  capable  of  doing  and  what 
the  people  can  be  made  to  swallow.  The  open 
violation  of  the  law  and  shameful  political 
juggling  in  the  case  of  Billion  House  failed  to 
arouse  the  people's  indignation  and  they  have 
already  forgotten  all  about  it.  The  trouble  is 
with  the  people;  they  forget  quickly  the  bene- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          105 

fits  received  or  injuries  inflicted,  but  vested  in 
terests  neither  forget  nor  forgive." 

"Even  if  I  admit  all  that  you  say  is  true,  that 
does  not  absolve  you  from  doing  your  duty  to 
the  people  even  if  ingratitude  and  neglect 
would  be  your  only  reward." 

"The  heroes  in  romances  I  know  act  as  you 
suggest  but  in  real  life  the  Don  Quixote's 
quickly  come  to  grief."  Mrs.  Lawson  looked 
at  Mr.  Moran.  His  "Quixotic"  illustration 
raised  him  in  her  esteem  as  a  scholar,  but  also 
showed  that  he  could  not  be  reached  by  ap 
peals  to  higher  ideals  that  would  involve  a  sac 
rifice  of  his  political  ambitions. 

"Be  honest  to  me,  Mr.  Moran,"  she  said 
after  a  short  pause,  "if  I  am  successful  in 
strengthening  my  evidence  will  you  lend  your 
co-operation  in  getting  an  investigation?" 

"I  cannot  promise.  An  investigation  of 
public  institutions  is  a  very  serious  and  far 
reaching  undertaking  whose  results  cannot  be 
measured,  and  caution  is  requisite." 

"I  am  certainly  disappointed  in  the  man  who 
dares.  I  expected  to  find  him  a  man  of  action 
and  I  can  only  see  a  timid,  self-seeking  politi 
cian."  Mr.  Moran  winced  under  this  accusa 
tion;  a  gleam  of  anger  came  into  his  piercing 
eye,  but  he  repressed  all  outward  signs  of  emo 
tion  and  said  calmly,  "I  am  sorry  that  my  open 
and  honest  attitude  has  made  no  better  impres 
sion."  He  arose  and  Mrs.  Lawson  left  his 
office,  poorer  by  the  loss  of  another  illusion 
and  richer  by  the  receiving  of  another  lesson  on 
politics  and  the  way  of  politicians. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    CONSPIRACY. 

Mr.  Berwin  had  been  entrusted  by  Mrs. 
Lawson  with  considerable  funds  for  the  secur 
ing  of  information  of  the  condition  of  sanitar 
iums,  public  and  private,  in  all  parts  of  the 
United  States.  The  main  object  of  Mrs.  Law- 
son  had  been  at  first  to  search  for  victims  of 
conspiracies  similar  to  the  one  from  which  she 
herself  had  suffered.  Mr.  Berwin  strongly 
doubted  the  existence  of  such  victims  and  he 
expressed  himself  to  this  effect  to  his  client, 
but  he  promised  to  keep  his  eye  open  for  such 
a  possibility.  He  realized  that  he  was  not  like 
ly  to  find  evidence  of  conspiracies  in  public  in 
sane  asylums  whose  inm;ates  recruited  them 
selves  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  and  from 
wrhose  confinement  no  one  could  derive  a  spec 
ial  benefit.  Men  will  not  act  without  a  motive ; 
this  motive  is  in  ninety-nine  out  of  one  hun 
dred  cases  gain  of  money  or  property.  The 
Latin  dictum  in  bono  cui  bono  is  strongly  im 
pressed  upon  all  students  of  the  legal  profes 
sion,  as  the  strongest  guide  in  legal  difficulties. 

At  the  request  of  Mrs.  Lawson,  Berwin  had 
hired  a  special  agent  named  Ritter  to  visit  pri 
vate  sanitariums  and  come  in  touch  with  in 
mates  and  attendants.  For  some  time  the  re 
ports  of  this  agent  bore  no  promise  of  defin 
ite  results.  There  were  of  course  a  number  of 
106 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  107 

inmates  who  claimed  to  be  sane  and  to  be  un 
justly  detained  but  an  investigation  did  not 
warrant  an  interference. 

But  his  latest  report  was  different.  It  con 
tained  the  story  of  the  confinement  in  one  of 
the  most  select  and  secluded  sanitariums  of  a 
young  woman,  an  heiress  to  several  million  dol 
lars.  The  facts  as  reported  by  Ritter  were  as 
follows.  A  Mr.  De  Ruiz  from  Pittsburg,  a 
multi-millionaire,  had  died  leaving  his  fortune 
in  equal  shares  to  his  wife  and  only  daughter. 
Mrs.  De  Ruiz  after  a  few  years  of  widowhood 
had  married  a  P.  H.  Stanhope  of  New  York. 
This  gentleman  lost  the  whole  of  his  own  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  wife's  fortune  in  a  gig 
antic  stock  speculation.  The  wife  died  soon 
after,  some  say  of  broken  heart.  Her  daughter 
Alice  De  Ruiz  in  her  eighteenth  year  became 
engaged  to  a  young  man  named  William 
Norris,  the  scion  of  one  of  the  most  prominent 
families  of  New  York.  For  some  unknown 
reason  the  engagement  was  broken  off  and  a 
few  weeks  later  Miss  De  Ruiz  was  brought  to 
the  sanitarium. 

This  sanitarium  was  located  in  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  secluded  spots  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  was  presided  over  by  a  Dr. 
Flaherty.  There  were  rumors  afloat  that  the 
doctor  had  lost  quite  a  large  sum  of  money  in 
the  same  speculation  as  Mr.  Stanhope.  Alice 
De  Ruiz,  Ritter  reported,  had  made  several  at 
tempts  to  secure  her  liberation  and  gone  so  far 
as  to  try  to  escape  twice  with  the  connivance 
of  attendants  whom  she  had  bribed.  The  first 
time  she  was  apprehended  before  she  reached 
the  nearest  town,  the  second  time  she  was 


io8  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

brought  back  through  the  legal  machinery  in 
voked  by  her  step-father. 

The  case  looked  promising  to  Berwin.  Mil 
lions  were  at  stake.  The  motive,  the  cui  bono 
was  present  with  all  its  weight.  He  went  to  the 
room  of  Mrs.  Lawson  and  unknown  to  him 
self  his  face  wore  an  expression  of  gravity 
that  showed  Mrs.  Lawson  that  he  was  the 
bearer  of  unusual  news.  She  pointed  to  a  chair 
and  without  saying  a  word  he  handed  her  the 
letter  from  Ritter.  Mrs.  Lawson  seemed  to 
read  with  a  great  interest.  Her  face  became 
slightly  flushed  as  her  eyes  went  slowly  over 
the  pages.  After  she  had  finished  she  looked 
at  Berwin  and  each  recognized  the  identity  of 
their  thoughts. 

"I  think  I  had  better  go  in  person." 

"I  think  so  myself,  but  be  careful.  Do  noth 
ing  rash,  keep  me  informed  of  every  detail  and 
take  no  important  steps  without  my  advice. 
We  most  likely  have  to  deal  with  people  as 
cunning  as  they  are  unscrupluous  and  wiles 
must  be  met  with  wiles.  Such  people  can  only 
be  beaten  with  their  own  weapons." 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Lawson  departed  for 
New  York.  Through  Ritter  she  secured  the 
names  of  some  families  who  had  one  of  their 
members  in  the  sanitarium  at  N  and  to  her  sat 
isfaction  she  found  the  names  of  several  with 
whom  social  relations  could  be  easily  establish 
ed.  She  kept  her  motive  carefully  in  the  back 
ground  and  through  skilful  manceuvers  she  in 
duced  a  certain  Mrs.  Rice  whose  daughter  was 
a  patient  at  N  to  visit  the  place  in  her  company. 
Together  they  went  to  the  sanitarium  and  Mrs. 
Lawson  had  an  introduction  to  Dr.  Flaherty. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          109 

He  was  a  man  about  middle  age,  carefully 
groomed  and  always  spoke  with  a  suave  and 
unctuous  voice.  Somehow  or  other  his  whole 
demeanor  strongly  reminded  her  of  Dr.  Finerty. 
In  her  second  visit  at  the  asylum  she  told  him 
that  she  had  just  learned  that  a  Miss  De  Ruiz 
was  in  his  charge,  that  she  had  known  her 
mother  quite  intimately  many  years  ago  and 
asked  whether  she  could  not  be  allowed  to  see 
Miss  De  Ruiz.  "I  think  I  remember  her,"  she 
continued,  "although  she  was  but  a  mere  child." 
While  she  spoke  she  watched  carefully  the 
face  of  the  doctor.  She  saw  an  uneasy  expres 
sion  come  into  his  eyes  as  she  mentioned  the 
name  De  Ruiz,  which  uneasiness  seemed  to 
deepen  at  her  request  for  a  personal  meeting. 
But  the  doctor  had  good  control  of  himself 
and  his  feelings,  and  after  a  few  minutes  hes 
itation  he  declared  that  he  would  consider  the 
matter  and  if  possible  accede  to  her  wishes. 

His  whole  attitude  had  turned  Mrs.  Law- 
son's  suspicion  into  absolute  certainty  and  she 
was  more  gratified  than  surprised  when  the 
doctor  informed  her  on  her  next  visit  that  the 
condition  of  Miss  De  Ruiz  had  recently  taken 
a  turn  for  the  worse,  that  she  had  grown  more 
melancholy  and  that  the  sight  of  strangers 
threw  her  usually  into  fits  of  hysteria  from 
which  she  could  be  reclaimed  only  with  great 
difficulty.  "In  a  case  like  this,  wre  do  not  allow 
even  relatives  to  see  the  patient,  but  I  thought  I 
might  make  an  exception  in  your  case  and  I 
paid  Miss  De  Ruiz  a  visit  and  tried  to  ascer 
tain  what  impression  your  name  would  make, 
but  there  was  absolutely  no  sign  of  recogni 
tion;  and  when  I  asked  her  if  she  would  like 


no  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  see  a  lady  named  Harbeson,  she  in  her  own 
way  expressed  great  unwillingness,  and  in  the 
best  interest  of  Miss  De  Ruiz  I  think  you  had 
better  not  see  her  now;  maybe  at  some  future 
time  when  her  condition  will  have  improved." 

Mrs.  Lawson  now  felt  sure  of  her  position. 
She  was  convinced  that  the  doctor  had  not 
even  seen  Miss  De  Ruiz,  much  less  asked  her 
any  questions  about  her  intended  visit ;  but  she 
pretended  to  be  fully  satisfied  with  Dr.  Flaher 
ty's  explanation.  She  informed  Berwin  of  the 
situation  and  asked  his  advice.  He  replied  by 
return  mail  that  he  shared  her  opinion  but  he 
told  her  that  great  circumspection  was  neces 
sary  in  order  to  secure  their  object.  "There 
are  two  main  pivots,"  he  wrote,  "in  the  working 
of  our  government  and  its  legal  machinery, 
money  and  political  influence.  A  lawyer  who 
holds  or  has  held  a  high  political  position  or 
stands  in  close  relation  to  one  of  the  great  pol 
itical  parties  will  move  our  legal  machinery 
with  ease  and  swiftness,  while  a  lawyer  with 
out  prestige  no  matter  how  great  his  talent  or 
even  his  genius  will  not  easily  set  in  motion 
the  wheels  of  justice.  Newspaper  notoriety 
or  a  legal  prosecution  is  most  likely  not  desired 
by  Miss  De  Ruiz  as  Stanhope  after  all  was  the 
husband  of  her  mother.  My  advice  is:  secure 
the  legal  services  of  Senator  Depew  or  ex-gov 
ernor  White,  or  the  law  firm  with  which  either 
of  these  gentlemen  is  connected.  Their  services 
will  be  very  expensive,  but  it  may  be  the 
cheapest  in  the  end.  If  successful,  Miss  De 
Ruiz  will  reimburse  you." 

Mrs.    Lawson    paid    but    little    attention    to 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  in 

hints  of  expenses.  What  was  money  in  a  case 
like  this? 

Mrs.  Lawson  returned  to  New  York  and 
visited  the  law  firm  of  which  ex-governor 
White  was  a  senior  member.  She  had  met  him 
socially  many  years  ago  and  was  accorded  a 
most  deferential  reception.  After  a  short  con 
versation  on  social  incidents  Mrs.  Lawson  in 
formed  him  that  she  required  his  legal  services 
in  a  very  grave  and  delicate  matter  whose 
management  would  require  the  utmost  discre 
tion.  The  governor  promised  his  closest  atten 
tion  and  she  laid  before  him  her  knowledge  of 
the  De  Ruiz-Stanhope  history  and  gave  him 
her  personal  observations  and  deductions.  He 
listened  without  interruption  and  after  she  had 
finished  she  thought  she  noticed  in  his  eye  a 
gleam  of  intelligence  which  showed  that  he 
understood  the  situation  and  more  or  less 
shared  her  own  views.  "If  things  are  as  you 
say,"  he  said,  "and,  to  be  frank,  I  am  inclined 
to  share  your  opinion,  I  have  no  doubt  that 
the  affair  can  be  managed  satisfactorily.  I 
am  willing  to  take  the  case,  but  in  the  interest 
of  all  concerned,  publicity  should  be  avoided  ; 
Miss  De  Ruiz  herself  would  hardly  like  to  play 
the  role  of  a  newspaper  heroine  in  a  matter  of 
this  kind.  Besides  the  consideration  of  public 
policy  does  not  make  it  expedient  to  give  the 
general  public  glimpses  of  the  happenings  in 
high  society.  There  have  been  altogether  too 
many  scandals  within  the  last  few  years  in  our 
ranks,  and  people  might  draw  conclusions  not 
in  the  interest  of  the  class  to  which,  after  all, 
we  ourselves  belong."  » 

"All   right,  Governor,  I  leave  things  to  your 


H2  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

judgment,  only  do  not  lose  a  minute  for  the 
sake  of  Miss  De  Ruiz,  whose  sufferings  I  can 
imagine,  and,  if  possible,  I  would  like  to  have 
things  arranged  in  such  a  way  that  I  will  be 
the  first  to  greet  her  after  her  release.  I  have 
reasons  of  my  own  for  this  wish,  besides  hav 
ing  been  a  friend  of  her  mother.  I  would  like 
best  to  have  her  leave  the  sanitarium  in  my 
company." 

"I  think  this  can  be  managed." 

"I  will  take  the  matter  in  hand  immediately 
and  keep  you  informed  of  results." 

About  two  weeks  later,  she  received  a  short 
note  from  the  ex-governor,  telling  her  that 
affairs  were  progressing  favorably  and  soon 
after  an  urgent  summons  from  the  ex-gover 
nor's  office.  She  went  immediately  and  found 
him  in  a  very  thoughtful  mood. 

"Well,"  he  said  after  a  short  greeting,  "the 
affair  is  settled.  You  can  have  Alice  De  Ruiz 
placed  in  your  charge,  but"  he  continued  with 
an  ominous  expression  in  his  eyes,  "I  am 
afraid  there  is  another  ugly  side  to  the  affair." 
In  answer  to  her  surprised  and  apprehensive 
look  he  said  in  a  low  voice,  "I  have  grave  rea 
sons  to  think  that  the  fortune  of  Alice  De  Ruiz 
is  no  longer  intact.  Her  share  in  her  father's 
estate,  about  ten  million,  had  been  in  the  con 
trol  of  her  step  father,  and  Mr.  Stanhope's 
affairs  I  am  informed,  are  very  involved  and  I 
have  some  grave  misgivings." 

A  sigh  of  relief  came  from  the  lips  of  Mrs. 
Lawson.  "Money  matters  must  wait  and  can 
be  adjusted  later.  All  I  want,"  she  said,  "is  to 
hold  Miss  De  Ruiz  in  my  arms  as  soon  as 
possible." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          113 

"All  right,  this  wish  will  be  gratified.  With 
your  permission  I  will  go  with  you,  my  pres 
ence  might  save  you  some  unnecessary  embar 
rassment." 

She  accepted  his  offer  and  together  they  left 
the  office. 

On  their  way  to  the  sanitarium  they  discuss 
ed  the  case  and  Mr.  White  offered  his  future 
services  in  straightening  out  the  financial 
affairs  of  Miss  De  Ruiz.  In  the  course  of 
conversation  Mrs.  Lawson  asked  if  he  did  not 
think  that  the  laws  regulating  commitment  to 
sanitariums  needed  a  complete  revision.  He 
reflected  a  few  minutes  and  then  replied,  "I  do 
not  think  so.  It  is  not  the  law  that  is  at  fault. 
The  best  laws  can  be  offset  with  money  and 
cunning.  We  cannot  even  now  in  the  present 
case  institute  a  prosecution  for  any  direct  vio 
lation  of  the  law.  Mr.  Stanhope  would  have 
no  difficulty  in  procuring  expert  testimony  to 
the  effect  that  the  mental  condition  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz  fully  justified  his  action  in  placing  her 
in  a  sanitarium.  You  cannot  prove  or  disprove 
a  doctor's  diagnosis,  no  matter  how  much  his 
opinion  might  be  impugned.  The  fault  lies 
with  the  greed  and  venality  of  man  and  not 
with  the  laws." 

Mrs.  Lawson  did  not  care  to  enter  into  a 
controversy  upon  the  subject.  Her  mind  and 
her  heart  travelled  ahead  of  the  swiftly  moving 
train  and  in  her  mental  eye  she  saw  Alice  De 
Ruiz  in  a  situation  which  she  could  imagine 
and  fully  appreciate. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  sanitarium  his  ex 
cellency  attended  to  all  the  formalities.  His 
card  soon  brought  Dr.  Flaherty.  His  face 


H4  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

wore  an  embarrassed  look  but  he  succeeded  in 
maintaining  a  professional  and  business  like 
attitude.  He  greeted  Mrs.  Lawson  with  a  look 
of  recognition  and  then  stated  that  he  under 
stood  that  his'  patient  Miss  De  Ruiz  was  to  be 
put  in  her  care.  "I  have  already  informed  Miss 
De  Ruiz  of  this  decision,  but  she  does  not  seem 
to  approve.  Morbid  suspicion,  the  usual  and 
most  prominent  symptom  of  mental  unsound- 
ness,  makes  her  see  all  kinds  of  plots  and  con 
spiracies." 

A  bitter  thought  came  into  the  mind  of  Mrs. 
Lawson,  as  she  listened  to  the  doctor's  explan 
ation.  She  fully  understood  the  meaning  of 
such  words. 

"Bring  me  to  her  apartment,"  she  said,  "and 
leave  us  alone  for  a  while  and  I  do  not  think 
I  shall  have  any  difficulty  in  quieting  the  appre 
hension  of  your,  or  rather,  now,  my  charge." 

"All  right." 

"Wait  for  me,  Governor,  and  please  do  not 
get  impatient  at  any  delay,  for  my  interview 
with  Miss  De  Ruiz  might  be  of  longer  duration 
than  you  would  expect." 

"I  will  walk  around  the  garden.  Do  not 
hurry  on  my  account." 

Her  heart  beating  with  violent  expectation, 
not  free  altogether  from  misgivings,  she  fol 
lowed  Dr.  Flaherty  to  the  apartment  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz.  Soon  they  entered  an  elegantly  fur 
nished  room  and  sitting  by  the  window  Mrs. 
Lawson  saw  a  figure  and  face  of  such  unsur 
passed  loveliness  that  her  heart  went  out  in 
deep  sympathy,  for  she  knew  the  pains  and 
sufferings  accompanying  a  woman's  beauty  so 
flattered  by  men  and  envied  by  women. 


ALICE    DE    RUIZ 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  115 

But  the  demeanor  of  Alice  De  Ruiz  at  the 
sight  of  her  visitor  was  by  no  means  one  of  a 
joyful  welcome  such  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  prospects  of  release  from  dreadful  confine 
ment.  On  the  contrary,  as  she  arose  from  her 
seat  her  whole  attitude  was  rather  one  of  de 
fiance  and  distrust. 

Mrs.  Lawson  felt  deeply  moved,  but  she 
could  understand.  She  made  the  doctor  a  sign 
to  withdraw  and  after  he  had  done  so,  she  ap 
proached  the  girl  with  outstretched  arms. 
Alice  De  Ruiz  gave  one  inquiring  and  search 
ing  look  and  then  fell  weeping  into  Mrs.  Law- 
son's  arms.  Together  they  wept.  Their  tears 
mingled  and  formed  the  first  links  of  a  friend 
ship  that  was  to  enter  deeply  into  their  lives. 

It  took  some  time  before  their  agitation  sub 
sided  and  then  Mrs.  Lawson  suggested  their 
immediate  leave.  "We  can  defer  all  explana 
tions,  my  darling,"  she  added  in  a  voice  still 
trembling  and  shaking  with  emotion.  "Let  it 
suffice  for  you  to  know  that  I  have  known  your 
mother.  We  were  not  very  intimate,  it  is  true, 
but,  I  know  not  for  what  reason,  there  always 
was  a  bond  of  sympathy  between  us,  and  to  re 
assure  you  completely  let  me  tell  you  that  I 
have  suffered  the  same  way  as  you  did  and 
that  this  brought  me  to  your  rescue." 

"You  are  then  my  deliverer,"  cried  the  girl 
in  a  tearful  voice,  "and  I  had  awaited  your 
coming  with  such  suspicion.  I  had  thought 
that  you  were  a  tool  of  my  stepfather.  Please 
forgive." 

"Nothing  to  forgive,  my  dear,  and  nothing 
to  thank.  I  was  delivered  by  a  friend  and  by 
rendering  you  the  same  service  I  but  pay  a  debt 


n6  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  Providence.  Besides  your  suspicion  was 
only  natural.  I  would  have  felt  the  same  way 
in  your  position.  Now  let  us  go,  we  can  post 
pone  all  explanations  and  plans  for  a  later  day, 
for  I  do  not  think  we  shall  part  soon  again  if 
ever.  There  is  a  lawyer  here  with  me,  but  we 
had  better  dismiss  him  for  the  present." 
Without  further  delay  they  left  the  room.  Mrs. 
Lawson  looked  for  the  ex-governor  and  soon 
found  him  in  the  garden.  When  this  gentle 
man  saw  the  two  ladies  coming  towards  him 
linked  in  each  other's  arms  like  sisters  long 
parted,  he  felt  that  his  company  for  the  present 
would  only  be  an  embarrassment.  He  bowed 
deferentially  and  congratulated  Miss  De  Ruiz 
on  her  release  and  pointing  towards  Mrs. 
Lawson  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "You  owe  her 
a  great  deal." 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  ar 
rived  at  the  hotel  in  Boston  and  Alice  De  Ruiz 
accepted  a  room  in  the  suite  of  Mrs.  Lawson 
until  a  neighboring  apartment  should  be 
vacant.  The  next  morning  after  breakfast 
Mrs.  Lawson  went  to  the  room  of  Alice.  She 
felt  deeply  depressed;  a  reaction  had  succeed 
ed  the  agitation  of  joyful  activity.  The  state 
of  her  mind  was  closely  akin  to  Goethe's  when 
he  wrote :  "The  misery  of  humanity  touches 
my  heart,"  but  with  a  strong  effort  she  re 
pressed  all  outward  sense  of  depression ;  her 
new  friend  should  see  a  calm  and  hopeful  face 
the  first  morning  of  her  newly  acquired  free 
dom. 

Miss  De  Ruiz  welcomed  her  visitor  with  a 
very  pleasant  smile.  There  \vas  no  special 
outward  display  of  affection,  only  the  eyes 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  117 

spoke  a  language  that  needed  not  the  interpre 
tation  of  words.  Calmness  and  self-posses 
sion  are  the  marks  of  spiritual  elevation  and 
mental  refinement.  A  soul  that  has  learned  to 
hold  in  check  the  outward  signs  of  strong 
emotion  has  also  gained  a  power  to  examine 
and  look  at  life  from  a  high  standpoint  and  to 
endure  misfortune  to  which  others  would 
quickly  succumb.  As  these  two  clasped  hands 
and  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  each  recog 
nized  the  greatness  of  mind  and  soul  of  the 
other.  After  they  were  seated  peacefully  on 
the  sofa  Miss  De  Ruiz  said  in  a  very  serious 
and  half  depressed  voice,  "Now  I  must  tell  my 
story." 

"No,  me  first/'  replied  Mrs.  Lawson,  play 
fully.  "I  am  the  elder;  I  know  already  more 
of  your  life  than  you  of  mine,  besides  my  his 
tory  will  explain  to  you  some  things  and  help 
you  to  understand  our  situation." 

She  then  gave  her  a  short  account  of  her 
life  up  to  the  time  of  her  parents'  visit  to  New 
York,  when  the  social  relations  existed  between 
their  families.  Alice  De  Ruiz  was  but  a  child 
at  that  period,  yet  she  remembered  some  of  the 
incidents  related  by  Mrs.  Lawson.  Mrs.  Law- 
son  then  pictured  her  life  in  Frisco  as  a  'much 
wooed  heiress.  She  related  briefly  the  courtship 
and  marriage  to  Mr.  Lawson,  dwelt  lovingly 
over  the  story  of  her  children  and  then  gave 
an  account  of  her  life  as  a  society  leader  and 
related  in  all  its  details  the  story  of  her  im 
prisonment,  her  successive  emotions  while  in 
confinement,  her  vow  that  after  regaining  her 
freedom  her  life  should  be  devoted  to  the  ser 
vice  of  her  fellowmen,  and  then  gave  a  graphic 


u8  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

description  of  her  liberation  through  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  Morgan,  her  subsequent  experi 
ence  in  her  life  of  service  in  Boston  and  New 
York.  Without  intending  it  the  name  of 
Morgan  had  received  a  few  touches  in  her  nar 
rative  that  aroused  the  curiosity  and  admira 
tion  of  Miss  De  Ruiz.  "Next  to  your  children 
I  would  like  to  meet  this  Mr.  Morgan,"  was 
one  of  her  reflections  after  Mrs.  Lawson  had 
finished  her  history. 

"Why,"  replied  Mrs.  Lawson  with  a  slight 
blush,  "I  am  afraid  you  would  be  disappointed. 
The  appearance  of  Mr.  Morgan,  or  rather  John 
as  everyone  calls  him,  is  anything  but  prepos 
sessing.  His  looks  and  entire  demeanor  are 
very  democratic;  indeed  I  think  I  heard  it 
said  without  contradiction  that  his  father  was 
a  common  day  laborer,  an  Irish  emigrant,  and 
I  believe  that  John  is  more  proud  than 
ashamed  of  his  lowly  origin.  He  told  me  one 
day  himself  that  he  just  as  soon  would  asso 
ciate  with  an  intelligent  hod  carrier  as  with  a 
banker.  How  far  a  certain  pride  of  being  a 
self-made  man  might  unconsciously  influence 
this  predeliction  of  John  would  be  difficult 
to  tell." 

"You  seem  to  understand  and  analyze  men 
very  well,"  remarked  Alice  with  an  admiring 
look. 

"I  have  learned  more  of  the  world  in  gener 
al  and  of  man  in  particular  within  the  last  six 
months  than  in  all  my  previous  life." 

"Now  my  time  has  come,"  remarked  Alice; 
"my  history  will  not  take  so  long  to  relate  ex 
cept  the  latter  part,  which  is  so  sad." 

A  slight  shudder  passed  through  her  fragile 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          119 

frame  as  the  recollection  of  the  near  past  came 
to  her  objective  consciousness. 

"Not  yet,  Miss  De  Ruiz,  we  will  first  have 
dinner  and  then  we  will  take  a  drive  to  the 
country,  to  the  so-called  Blue  Hills,  and  from 
one  of  these  hills  looking  down  upon  the  sordid 
world,  I  will  listen  to  the  history  of  my  latest 
and  dearest  friend." 

Alice  De  Ruiz  was  satisfied.  When  ready 
to  start  Mrs.  Lawson  consulted  Miss  De  Ruiz 
about  their  method  of  travel.  "As  for  your 
self,"  she  continued  in  answer  to  an  enquiring 
look  of  Miss  De  Ruiz,  "I  want  to  study  the 
people,  and  have  made  it  a  custom  to  do  from 
choice  what  they  do  from  necessity,  walk  or 
take  the  street  cars." 

"You  need  not  make  a  change  in  your  habits 
on  my  account;  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  to  go 
to  your  school  of  life,"  declared  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"I  think,  if  you  mingle  with  me  and  the  peo 
ple  you  must  learn  to  dress  a  little  less  attrac 
tively,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson  with  a  smile  to 
Miss  De  Ruiz  on  their  way  to  the  Elevated. 
"Do  you  notice  the  curious  and  I  might  say 
envious  gaze  of  women  and  the  admiring  looks 
of  men  as  we  passed  them  by?" 

"I  hardly  think  you  are  just,  this  time," 
replied  Miss  De  Ruiz,  as  her  eyes  rested  on  the 
Juno-like  figure  of  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Oh  no,  I  am  getting  too  old,  I  think  most 
people  will  take  me  for  your  mother  or  your 
governess." 

Miss  De  Ruiz  tried  to  remonstrate  but  the 
elder  interupted  her: 

"Now  please  don't — let  us  not  tell  each 
other  nice  things  about  our  outward  appear- 


I2O  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ance.  We  can  safely  leave  that  to  the  men, 
but  still  I  maintain  that  it  is  dress  rather  than 
looks  that  attracts  attention  in  public  places." 

From  some  winding  prospective  they  could 
now  and  then  see  the  rounded  forms  and  blue 
summit  of  some  distant  hills  lifting  their 
woody  peaks  into  the  blue  ether.  Mrs.  Lawson 
signalled  for  the  car  to  stop  and  on  a  winding 
path  they  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  hill.  An  ex 
clamation  of  rapture  fell  from  the  lips  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz  when  they  had  reached  the  summit 
and  her  eyes  took  in  the  beautiful  panorama 
that  lay  at  her  feet.  A  splendid  view  opened  be 
fore  her  vision.  In  the  depth  below  stretched  the 
plain,  through  the  green  meadows  of  which  in 
a  serpentine  course  wound  a  little  river.  The 
roofs  and  towers  of  the  distant  city  looked 
like  tiny  dots  on  the  map.  Over  opposite  dark 
ly  rose  the  peak  of  Chickacauput  in  proud 
prominence.  Blue  flat  mountain  ridges  extend 
ing  like  walls  near  one  another  formed  a  bar 
rier  that  hid  the  view  of  the  distant  ocean. 
Over  it  all  the  two  women  gazed  in  silence  up 
on  the  beautiful  scene,  forgetful  of  themselves 
and  surroundings.  In  the  rapturous  looks  of 
Alice  De  Ruiz  Mrs.  Lawson  recognized  again 
a  kindred  soul.  She  knew  that  the  apprecia 
tion  and  enjoyment  of  nature  is  still  a  privilege 
of  the  elect — of  the  filii,  as  Ruskin  calls  them. 

With  a  glance  of  mutual  understanding  they 
seated  themselves  on  the  grass.  Alice  De  Ruiz 
took  the  hands  of  her  companion  and  said 
dreamingly: — "Now  to  my  story,  where  shall 
I  begin?  — my  life  as  a  child  I  do  not  think  is 
especially  interesting  and  is  hardly  different 
from  that  of  any  other  girl  of  wealthy  family. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  121 

I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  of  my  parents ; 
you  knew  them;  you  must  have  known  how 
kind  and  generous  was  the  disposition  of  my 
father  and  mother  and  not  only  towards  me 
their  only  child,"  she  said  quickly  as  if  in  reply 
to  some  remark. 

"I  remember  your  father  very  well  Miss  De 
Ruiz,  but  I  myself  was  yet  too  young  and  inex 
perienced  to  even  think  of  judging  character; 
but  you  are  his  daughter,  you  have  his  fea 
tures,  and  I  am  pleased  to  think  that  in  your 
case  the  saying  holds  good — "The  apple  does 
not  fall  far  from  the  tree." 

"Now  didn't  I  hear  someone  say  only  a 
short  while  ago  that  we  ought  not  to  say  com 
plimentary  things  to  one  another,  and  that 
somebody  as  mentor  I  think  ought  to  abide  by 
her  own  advice." 

"Who  is  playing  now  the  role  of  mentor," 
said  the  elder  with  an  amused  smile  as  her 
hand  softly  stole  around  the  waist  of  the 
younger.  "Let  us  not  argue  on  that  point,"  she 
then  remarked  as  Miss  De  Ruiz  started  to  re 
ply, — "let  us  continue  with  your  story." 

"Where  was  I — Oh  yes,  I  was  speaking  of 
my  father — Life  was  smooth  when  he  lived; 
my  remembrance  of  those  days  is  dim  and 
evaporates  as  I  try  to  clothe  my  recollections 
with  words.  The  death  of  my  father  was  the 
first  great  event  in  my  life;"  she  continued 
after  a  pause,  "I  was  then  eight  years  old. 
How  vivid  is  still  the  picture  of  that  event! — I 
see  the  sick  chamber — I  see  my  mother,  how 
with  tear-stained  face  she  led  me  to  my  father's 
sick  bed.  In  my  mind  I  see  the  eye  of  my 
father  looking  sadly  into  mine,  and  I  can  hear 


122  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

these  last  words,  his  last  to  me — 'Be  a  good 
child  and  always  mind  your  mama/  Do  you 
believe  in  premonition?"  she  then  said  abrupt 
ly,  as  if  carried  away  by  her  own  thoughts. 

"I    certainly   do   and   sometime   will   tell  you 
some  of  my  experiences. 

"I  well  remember/'  then  continued  Miss  De 
Ruiz,  "the  cloud  which  hung  over  my  childish 
mind  for  week's  after  my  father's  death.  I 
was  still  too  young  to  grieve  deeply  or  realize 
the  full  extent  of  my  loss.  It  was  not  that — 
it  was  a  feeling  that  dreadful  things  were  be 
fore  me  in  consequence  of  my  father's  death. 
After  a  time,  of  course,  my  youthful  spirit  ex 
erted  itself.  I  still  had  my  mama  and  I  think 
through  the  death  of  my  father  the  bond  of 
mutual  attachment  between  us  became  closer 
than  before.  Several  years  passed  by  of  which 
there  is  nothing  of  especial  importance  to  re 
late  until  I  met  a  man  named  Stanhope  who 
was  to  become  the  husband  of  my  mother.  I 
well  remember  the  day  of  our  first  meeting.  It 
was  on  a  winter  evening  (we  lived  then  in  the 
house  of  78  th  Street)  when  mama  sent  for  me 
to  come  to  the  parlor.  She  showed  me  a  tall 
distinguished  looking  man  with  a  blond  beard 
and  said  in  a  grave,  yet  caressing  voice — 'This 
is  my  little  daughter,  Alice/  The  man  seem 
ed  well  pleased  to  make  my  acquaintance;  he 
patronizingly  patted  me  on  the  head ;  but  some 
how  I  shrank  from  his  touch — a  dark  shadow 
seemed  to  stand  beside  him,  making  signs  of 
warning.  I  spoke  before  of  a  foreboding  of 
evil  after  the  death  of  my  father,  now  the 
same  feeling  came  over  me  again  only  much 
stronger.  That  night  I  slept  but  little.  In  a 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  123 

vivid  dream  I  saw  the  figure  of  Mr.  Stanhope 
standing  over  me  in  a  threatening  attitude. 
When  my  mother  asked  me  the  following 
morning  how  I  liked  Mr.  Stanhope  I  cried,  and 
she  had  quite  a  time  to  quiet  my  mind.  'You 
are  a  foolish  child/  she  then  said  with  her  arm 
caressingly  around  my  shoulders.  'You  need 
not  be  afraid  of  Mr.  Stanhope;  he  is  a  good 
man  and  was  a  dear  friend  of  your  father/  I 
found  out  since  that  he  made  mama  believe 
that  and  that  papa  never  really  cared  to  have 
much  dealings  with  him.  But  upon  me  it  made 
a  strong  impression,  and,  child  as  I  was,  I  re 
solved  to  be  nice  to  Mr.  Stanhope.  I  do  not 
know  how  far  I  succeeded,  I  do  not  think  I  did 
very  well.  The  dark,  warning  shadow  again 
and  again  stood  by  his  side  when  he  tried  to 
caress  me ;  but  mama  took  occasion  to  tell  me 
repeatedly  that  Mr.  Stanhope  was  a  good  man 
so  that  gradually  I  could  endure  his  presence. 
But  when  she  told  me  that  I  would  soon  have 
to  call  him  father  I  wept  so  bitterly  that  I 
think  my  mother  became  frightened.  She  ask 
ed  what  I  had  against  him.  I  could  not  say 
anything  definitely — I  was  afraid  to  speak  of 
the  black  shadow  for  I  felt  that  others,  even 
mama,  would  consider  me  ridiculous,  so  I  said, 
'Nothing  particular,  but  I  can't  like  him.  I 
tried  to,  because  you  said  he  was  a  nice  man 
and  a  friend  of  my  father,  but  I  cannot  over 
come  my  feelings/  Mama  kissed  me  affec 
tionately  and  said,  'I  think  you  are  a  little  pre 
judiced  but  you  will  soon  overcome  that/ 

"Some  months  after  this  incident  the  wed 
ding  took  place;  I  remember  well  the  day,  I 
felt  deeply  depressed  in  my  childish  heart  and 


124  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

as  soon  as  I  could  I  stole  to  my  own  room  and 
tried  to  sleep,  but  that  night,  as  on  my  father's 
funeral,  I  slept  but  little.  I  was  but  a  child,  but 
I  was  always  strongly  sensitive  and  my  whole 
being  responds  quickly  to  the  feeling  of  joy  or 
sorrow. 

"After  the  wedding  we  went  to  Europe ;  but 
I  remember  but  little  of  that  trip,  the  different 
countries  and  cities  seemed  all  the  same  to  me. 
The  Alps  and  the  Rhine  are  the  only  scenes 
that  I  can  recall  distinctly.  The  Alps  had  some 
thing  imposing — they  seemed  to  speak  to  me 
of  God.  , 

"When  I  recall  now  that  time  to  my  mind  I 
think  I  am  right  in  saying  that  my  mother  did 
not  find  her  expected  happiness  in  her  new 
marriage.  The  relations  between  me  and  Mr. 
Stanhope,  now  my  stepfather,  were  outwardly 
friendly,  but  the  feeling  of  a  conscious  anti 
pathy,  I  think,  was  mutual.  When  I  reflect 
now  upon  my  situation  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that  the  repression  of  feeling — this  forced 
hypocrisy — was  very  prejudicial  to  my  mental 
and  spiritual  growth.  Such  things  spoil  the 
freshness  and  innocence  of  childhood." 

"You  are  quite  a  philosopher  for  one  so 
young,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  do  not  know  much  about  theories  in  phil 
osophy,  but  solitary  hours  in  enforced  seclu 
sion  open  many  vistas  to  the  soul." 

"I  found  that  out  myself,  my  dear  Miss  De 
Ruiz." 

"I  must  try  to  finish  my  story.  The  balmy 
air  engenders  musings  of  all  kinds  that  prevent 
the  mind  from  proceeding  on  a  straight  line." 

"Take  your  time,  my  dear;    if  your  story  is 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  125 

not  finished  today,  why,  we  have  tomorrows 
and  many  tomorrows." 

"No,  I  will  finish  the  essential  points,  and 
you  will  see  that  from  now  on  I  will  adhere  to 
my  narrative." 

"After  about  a  year's  travel  in  Europe,  we 
returned  home.  I  was  glad  to  get  back  to  my 
old  playmates  and  the  familiar  faces  and  the 
English  language.  I  think  we  never  really  ap 
preciate  things  until  after  we  miss  them  for  a 
time.  After  I  arrived  home  in  New  York  my 
life  floated  on  smoothly  in  the  old  channel.  I 
went  back  to  the  ,old  school  and  continued  my* 
special  music  and  elocution  lessons.  Six  years 
passed  by  without  any  incident  that  would  be 
of  special  interest.  I  have  since  learned  that 
during  that  time  Mr.  Stanhope  had  ventured 
on  some  risky  speculations  on  the  stock  ex 
change  and  that  his  and  mania's  fortunes  were 
greatly  reduced.  Whether  this  was  the  main 
reason  or  only  a  contributory  factor  to  my 
mother's  failing  health  I  do  not  know.  As  I 
recall  now  that  time  I  see  her  before  me  with 
what  seemed  to  me  then  a  very  troubled  face 
and  often  felt  her  eyes  resting  upon  me  with 
what  seemed  to  me  a  very  troubled  and  anxious 
expression,  as  if  she  had  a  foreboding  of  my 
future  ills.  The  weakness  of  my  mother  con 
tinued  to  increase.  The  best  doctors  were  con 
sulted  but  the  diagnoses  of  not  any  two  were 
alike,  in  fact  their  opinion  and  advice  were 
often  diametrically  opposed.  Our  medical 
profession  seems  to  have  a  good  deal  to  learn 
yet.  Then  there  came  about  two  weeks  when 
mother  was  confined  to  her  room  and  finally 
to  her  bed.  She  sometimes  sent  for  me  and 


126  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

kept  me  near  her  but  never  spoke  to  me  of 
serious  things  or  plans  for  the  future.  'Trust 
in  God/  was  her  frequent  exhortation;  'His 
ways  sometimes  seem  strange  but  they  are 
just.'  And  then  came  the  end — let  us  pass  over 
that  period. 

"After  a  few  months  the  spirit  of  youth  as 
serted  itself  and  I  could  continue  my  school 
work.  At  seventeen  I  left  school  and  was  in 
troduced  into  society.  You  know  society  life 
yourself,  the  fascination  it  exercises  at  first 
and  the  satiety  which  it  engenders.  Men's  flat 
teries  soon  wearied  and  disgusted  me.  Mr. 
Stanhope,  who  after  my  mother's  death  had 
become  very  attentive  and  showed  great  inter 
est  and  solicitude  for  all  my  wants,  often  cau 
tioned  me  that  men  were  after  my  fortune,  and 
I  became  very  suspicious  of  every  new  suitor. 
Then  came  a  change."  For  a  few  minutes  the 
fair  speaker  seemed  enwrapped  in  thoughts ; 
then  she  continued :  "It  is  now  about  three  and 
one  half  years  ago — I  remember  well  the  day 
when  I  first  met  a  man  named  William  Norris. 
It  was  at  an  entertainment  given  by  Mrs.  G. 
I  had  heard  people  speak  of  him  several  times, 
for  although  quite  young  he  was  the  author  of 
several  books.  Celebrity  puts  a  halo  upon 
men's  brows  to  which  most  women,  especially 
young  girls,  succumb.  They  seemed  attracted 
by  it  like  moths  by  fire-  and  often  encounter  a 
similar  fate. 

"It  would  be  impossible  to  define  my  first 
impression  of  Mr.  Norris.  There  was  a 
mysterious  attraction  coupled  with  a  strange 
repulsion  from  the  very  start;  but  try  what  I 
might  I  could  not  banish  his  picture  from  my 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  127 

mind.  I  read  his  books;  they  seemed  strange 
and  wild,  containing  many  criticisms  of  society 
and  of  government  which  I  understood  but 
little.  But  I  do  not  know  myself  how  it  came, 
when  we  met  at  social  functions  we  were  a 
good  deal  together;  my  eyes  seemed  to  meet 
his  whenever  I  looked  around.  One  day  when 
I  was  driving  in  Central  Park  I  saw  him  lying 
in  the  grass,  a  book  by  his  side.  I  drove  by  him 
several  times  before  he  recognized  me.  When 
he  saluted  I  stopped  the  carriage  and  invited 
him  to  take  a  seat,  but  he  asked  in  a  tone  such 
as  only  he  could  use:  'You  come  out  please, 
the  grass  is  so  soft  and  fresh  and  a  little  exer 
cise  will  do  you  good/  I  hesitated  but  yielded 
to  his  eyes. 

"Now  you  might  guess  the  rest."  She 
paused  for  a  few  minutes  immersed  in  her 
thoughts  and  then  continued.  "The  next 
morning  I  informed  Mr.  Stanhope  that  I  had 
promised  to  become  the  wife  of  William  Nor- 
ris.  He  seemed  amazed. 

'  'What,  that  anarchist !  that  free  thinker ! 
that  agitator!'  he  exclaimed  with  seeming  in 
dignation.  'You  must  have  been  the  victim  of 
a  strange  delusion  to  take  such  a  step — what 
would  your  mother  say?' 

"I  am  sure  Mr.  Norris  is  neither  an  agitator 
nor  an  anarchist.  He  has  my  word  and  I  am 
his  betrothed.' 

'  'I  only  want  your  happiness ;  I  promised 
your  mother  to  watch  over  you  and  I  can  only 
warn  and  beseech,'  replied  my  stepfather.  'Re 
flect  carefully — did  you  read  his  latest  book 
and  the  articles  in  the  Arena?' 

"  'I  have  read  his  books,  I  admit,  but  I  do  not 


128  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

fully  understand  him;  I  have  not  read  the 
articles  of  which  you  speak,  but  I  feel  sure 
that  Mr.  Norris  is  a  good  man  and  I  shall  keep 
my  promise — my  promise  to  be  his  wife — if 
need  be  I  can  wait  until  I  become  of  age/ 

"  'Read  his  latest  articles — ask  him  if  he 
believes  in  God  and  the  Christian  religion.' 

"I  left  him  and  went  to  my  own  room.  My 
stepfather's  objection  did  not  make  much  of  an 
impression  upon  my  mind;  on  the  contrary  I 
felt  myself  quite  a  heroine.  I  had  a  chance  to 
show  my  loyalty  and  steadfastness  to  William. 
Later  in  the  evening  my  maid  brought  me 
some  copies  of  the  Arena  sent  by  Mr.  Stan 
hope.  I  looked  for  the  article  by  Mr.  Norris 
and  found  one  headed,  'The  Religion  of  the 
Future.'  I  fail  to  grasp  even  now  the  full  sig 
nificance  of  the  things  I  found  in  that  article. 
I  became  greatly  agitated  when  I  had  finished. 
There  were  many  expressions  such  as  the  sup 
erstitions  of  religions,  of  priestcraft,  of  man- 
made  dogmas  and  such  things — words  of  high 
est  esteem  were  given  to  Christ  but  the  estab 
lished  and  recognized  religions  were  denounc 
ed  in  violent  terms.  I  felt  greatly  troubled— 
Could  William  have  written  such  things?  he 
always  had  spoken  with  such  sympathy  of 
everybody  and  had  an  excuse  for  people's 
weaknesses  and  shortcomings.  The  next 
morning  when  he  came  to  take  me  out  for  a 
drive  to  the  park  he  recognized  that  something 
was  not  quite  right,  and  in  answer  to  his  ques 
tions  I  spoke  to  him  of  Mr.  Stanhope's  re 
marks,  and  told  him  that  I  had  read  the  article 
'The  Religion  of  the  Future.'  He  tried  to  ex 
plain;  he  declared  that  he  was  neither  an  an- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          129 

archist  nor  an  atheist,  but  that  his  God  was  not 
a  mere  strong  human  figure  as  he  was  pictured 
in  the  Bible — that  God  was  all  the  universe 
and  that  all  the  Universe  was  God — that  only 
in  His  creatures  can  we  love  and  reverence 
Him.  'God  as  such/  and  I  distinctly  remem 
ber  those  words,  'is  a  mere  abstraction/ 

"  'You  are  really  not  a  Christian  then/  I  said 
with  a  troubled  heart. 

"  'Not  a  demoninational  one ;  I  love  and  ad 
mire  Christ  as  one  of  the  greatest  and  best 
men,  but  I  do  not  believe  Him  to  be  God  or 
equal  with  God,  if  by  the  word  God  we  mean 
the  Absolute/ 

"My  heart  sank  within  me.  He  tried  to  con 
vince  me  of  his  views ;  he  assured  me  of  un 
dying  love  and  that  he  would  show  me  that  one 
could  be  religious  without  going  to  church.  I 
failed  to  become  convinced;  my  mind  was 
troubled,  my  soul  was  sad.  Especially  the 
words — 'God  is  an  abstraction* — seemed  to 
have  sunk  deeply  into  my  soul/ 

"As  soon  as  I  returned  Mr.  Stanhope  met 
me. 

"  'Well,  was  I  not  right/  was  his  query,  and 
I  think  I  saw  a  triumphant  expression  in  his 
eyes  when  he  recognized,  as  he  must  have,  the 
disturbed  state  of  my  mind. 

"That  night  I  slept  poorly,  and  the  next 
morning  I  was  in  a  high  fever.  For  weeks  I 
lay  in  a  critical  condition.  I  have  been  told 
that  at  one  time  the  doctor  had  given  me  up, 
but  I  recovered.  Mr.  Norris,  so  I  was  inform 
ed  later,  had  been  a  daily  caller,  and  I  was 
asked  whether  he  could  now  be  admitted.  I 
refused  to  see  him  that  day.  I  pondered  deep- 


130  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ly  what  to  do.  Then  a  strange  thought  struck 
me :  I  asked  for  paper  and  pencil  and  in  a 
note  I  wrote  these  words — 'Do  you  love  God 
more  than  me?  If  you  can  say  conscientious 
ly  yes  then  come  and  see  me ;  if  not,  we  are 
parted  forever/  The  next  day  when  he  called 
I  sent  him  the  note  and  after  more  than  three 
hours  of  weary  and  anxious  waiting  I  received 
the  message — 'I  cannot  say  yes,  but  please  let 
me  explain — I  will  send  a  letter;  read  care 
fully;  do  not  destroy  your  happiness  and 
mine.'  I  suppose  the  agitation  caused  by  this 
incident  brought  on  a  relapse  which  nearly 
proved  fatal,  but  again  I  rallied  and  slowly  re 
gained  my  strength.  I  felt  sad,  very  sad,  life 
seemed  to  have  lost  all  attractions.  I  never 
received  the  letter  promised  by  William  in  his 
last  note.  Mr.  Stanhope  and  Dr.  R.  advised  a 
stay  in  the  mountains  in  Dr.  H's  sanitarium. 
I  did  not  care  where  I  went;  any  place  was  the 
same  to  me,  and  I  accepted  their  advice.  After 
about  a  month  I  wanted  to  leave  and  I  thought 
of  taking  a  trip  abroad.  But  I  found  that  I  was 
in  a  prison  from  which  all  escape  seemed  cut 
off.  When  I  realized  my  position  I  really 
became  nearly  insane." 

"Enough/'  replied  Mrs.  Lawson  in  a  voice 
full  of  sympathy,  "I  can  imagine  what  you 
went  through;  I  suffered  the  same  myself,  only 
the  time  of  my  suffering  was  weeks  while  yours 
was  over  a  year/' 

The  sun  was  now  sending  its  last  rays  over 
the  mountains,  a  bright  red  glow  illumined  the 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  131 

horizon  as  the  two  ladies  linked  in  each  other's 
arms  slowly  came  down  from  the  mountains 
and  took  a  car  back  to  Boston. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A    LETTER    AND    AN    ANSWER 

The  next  morning  when  reading  the  news 
paper  Mrs.  Lawson  saw  a  notice  of  the  election 
of  John  Morgan  to  the  office  of  District  Attor 
ney  of  San  Francisco.  She  felt  deeply  grati 
fied  and  decided  to  send  him  a  letter  of  con 
gratulations  with  an  account  of  her  last 
month's  work.  The  letter  ran  as  follows : 

When  I  saw  in  this  morning's  paper  your 
election  to  the  office  of  district  attorney 
my  first  impulse  was  to  send  you  a  letter 
of  congratulation,  but  my  second  thought 
made  it  appear  doubtful  whether  my  ad 
dress  of  congratulation  would  not  be  more 
properly  directed  to  the  city  of  Frisco; 
let  us  compromise;  and  I  hereby  send  my 
congratulations  to  both.  You  have  now 
an  opportunity  which  seldom  falls  to  the 
lot  of  mortal  man;  you  can  show  by  your 
example  what  a  wise  administrator  of  law 
and  justice  can  accomplish.  Human 
nature  is  the  same  everywhere,  and  condi 
tions  in  California,  especially  as  far  as 
public  institutions  are  concerned,  will  in 
my  opinion,  not  differ  materially  from 
those  in  Massachusetts,  into  which  I  tried 
in  vain  to  penetrate  with  an  official 
searchlight.  Kindly  keep  me  informed  of 
proceedings  and  results. 
132 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  133 

Strange,  very  strange  things,  have 
happened  since  I  sent  you  my  last  letter. 
I  feel  myself  every  day  more  and  more  an 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  Providence. 
Your  prognosis  of  the  attitude  of  the  pub 
lic  authorities  of  Massachusetts  towards 
palpable  abuses  in  public  institutions  was 
only  too  correct.  All  my  efforts  in  that 
direction  were  completely  fruitless,  outside 
of  the  punishment  inflicted  upon  a  few 
minor  officials  who  in  my  opinion  were  the 
necessary  results  of  a  brutish  system. 
But  why  do  I  write  to  you  of  fruitless 
efforts  when  I  can  tell  you  of  one  attend 
ed  with  such  a  glorious  result?  Do  you 
remember  your  remark  in  one  of  our  con 
versations,  that  there  is  not  likely  another 
victim  of  a  conspiracy  similar  to  my  case 
in  this  or  any  other  country?  This  remark 
shows  that  even  a  very  wise  man  can 
sometimes  be  mistaken.  I  found  a  case 
that  resembled  my  own  in  nearly  every 
particular. 

A  highly  intelligent  and  beautiful  girl 
was  kept  captive  at  a  sanitarium  kept  by 
Dr.  Flaherty  in  N. 

The  name  of  my  heroine  is  Alice  De 
Ruiz.  From  the  very  first,  information 
obtained  looked  suspicious  to  an  eye 
sharpened  by  personal  experience. 

Alice  De  Ruiz  is  an  heiress  to  several 
millions  of  dollars.  Her  mother  was  dead 
and  her  stepfather  was  her  guardian.  Her 
father  had  been  Alfred  De  Ruiz  of  whom 
you  might  have  heard.  Her  mother  after 
his  death  ventured  upon  a  second  marri- 


134  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

age  with  a  man  named  Stanhope,  which 
proved  to  be  a  very  unhappy  union,  and 
Mrs.  De  Ruiz  died  a  few  years  after  the 
marriage.  The  relations  between  Alice 
and  her  stepfather  had  never  been  friend 
ly,  but  after  her  mother's  death  he  profess 
ed  the  greatest  solicitude  in  his  step 
daughter's  welfare.  Alice  De  Ruiz  was  not 
deceived,  yet  she  was  looking  for  things  to 
go  smoothly  until  reaching  her  maturity. 
A  few  years  ago  she  fell  in  love  and  be 
came  engaged  to  a  man  named  William 
Norris.  I  understand  that  although  still 
young  he  has  written  some  remarkable 
books.  I  have  not  yet  had  time  to  read 
them,  but  shall  do  so  at  the  earliest  oppor 
tunity.  On  account  of  religious  scruples 
which  I  do  not  yet  fully  understand  Alice 
broke  off  the  engagement.  A  dangerous 
sickness  was  the  result,  which  left  her  in 
a  distressed  and  apathetic  condition.  Her 
stepfather  with  the  assistance  of  unscru 
pulous  doctors  availed  himself  of  this 
condition  to  inveigle  her  into  a  sanitarium 
from  which  if  they  had  their  will  she  was 
never  to  emerge  to  breathe  the  air  of  free 
dom.  Imagine  a  young  and  beautiful  girl 
highly  sensitive,  accustomed  to  have  every 
wish  gratified,  placed  behind  the  walls  of 
an  insane  asylum  from  which  repeated 
efforts  to  regain  her  freedom  had  proved 
abortive  and  aggravated  her  condition. 
But  I  actually  believe  Providence  sets  a 
special  watch  over  the  victims  of  such  per 
fidy,  for  otherwise  Alice  De  Ruiz  would 
have  succumbed  to  the  wiles  of  these 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  135 

. — Having  been  in  such  a  place  my 
self,  my  mind  can  now  hardly  bear  the 
thought  of  the  various  dangers  to  which  I 
was  exposed.  Alice  De  Ruiz  spent  over 
a  year  under  such  conditions  and  she  was 
so  much  younger.  Well  she  is  free 
now;  we  are  staying  together  at  the  hotel. 
We  feel  ourselves  as  isisters.  Common 
suffering  establishes  a  bond  that  unites 
more  closely  than  natural  relationship.  I 
expect  to  introduce  her  to  you  at  some 
future  period.  I  intended  to  write  to  you 
of  my  many  other  things — of  the  pov 
erty,  misery  and  degradation  existing  in 
our  large  cities  alongside  of  luxury  and 
wealth  and  ask  your  opinion  as  to  the 
cause  and  cure,  but  my  letter  is  already 
too  long  and  your  new  office  will  make 
great  demand  upon  your  time  so  I  will 
close  in  the  hope  of  an  early  answer  and 
wise  counsel. 

She  kept  a  copy  of  the  letter,  thinking  of 
showing  at  some  future  time  the  correspond 
ence  to  her  new  friend. 

In  reply  to  Mrs.  Lawson's  letter,  Morgan 
wrote  as  follows : 

Many  thanks  for  the  kind  congratula 
tions.  I  only  wish  they  were  better  des 
erved.  You  are  very  fortunate  and  con 
gratulations  from  me  to  you  would  be 
more  appropriate,  for  you  stand  before  a 
completed  achievement,  the  result  of 
noble  thought  and  high  endeavor.  I  am 
only  too  familiar  with  the  temptations  of 
money  upon  the  average  mind  but  the 
history  of  Alice  De  Ruiz  and  your  own 


136  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

show  me  that  even  I  underestimated  mo 
ney's  invidious  power  to  deaden  and  stifle 
the  silent  voice  of  a  God  given  conscience. 
I  had  heard  of  Alfred  De  Ruiz  in  connec 
tion  with  some  financial  undertaking  but 
never  knew  him  or  his  wife  personally  but 
know  William  Norris  and  am  proud  to 
claim  him  as  one  of  my  best  friends.  I 
know  his  books  and  I  commend  to  you 
and  your  friend  their  careful  reading.  It 
is  incomprehensible  to  me  how  any  intelli 
gent  girl  can  have  any  objection  to  Norris 
on  account  of  religious  scruples.  Why,  a 
more  deeply  religious  nature  I  never  knew 
and  these  sentiments  are  reflected  every 
where  in  his  books.  Of  course  his  religion 
is  not  one  of  an  ignorant  peasant  whose 
God  is  only  an  all  powerful  man  endowed 
with  human  passions,  with  love  and  hater 
giving  reward  and  vengeance,  and  from 
your  description  of  your  friend  I  should 
have  considered  her  superior  to  such 
childish  views  of  religion.  All  great 
thinkers  for  thousands  and  thousands  of 
years  have  proclaimed  to  the  world  the 
thoughts  and  ideals  of  William  Norris. 
Their  strongest  representatives  were 
Plato  and  Spinoza,  Swedenborg  and 
Boehme,  but  thus  far  mankind  has  not 
yet  reached  the  level  when  their  thoughts 
can  become  the  property  of  the  masses  of 
humanity.  The  exclamation  of  Demos 
thenes,  "The  people  have  no  sense,"  often 
reverberates  in  my  ears. 

When    I    reflect    upon    the    religion    and 
political  aspect  of  society  of  our  so  much 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  137 

boasted  twentieth  century,  I  can  under 
stand  how  the  ideas  and  ideals  of  William 
Norris  can  be  misconstrued  by  self  ap 
pointed  guardians  of  religion,  but  how  a 
pure  and  intellectual  girl  can  have  reli 
gious  scruples  in  connection  with  William 
Norris  I  fail  to  understand. 

Is  your  Alice  really  so  highly  intellec 
tual  as  your  enthusiasm  makes  her  ap 
pear?  Has  not  bigotry  distorted  her  vision 
on  religion?  I  hope  my  friendship  for 
William  Norris  does  not  make  me  unjust 
toward  your  newly  found  friend.  Does 
your  Alice  know  French?  If  so,  have 
her  read  the  reply  of  Victor  Hugo  to  a 
bishop  who  had  accused  him  of  atheism. 
The  sentiments  given  in  the  reply 
of  Hugo  are  nothing  new;  they  are  and 
have  been  held  by  every  thinker  in  the  past 
and  in  the  present.  In  former  turbulent 
and  intolerant  times,  danger  to  life  and 
liberty  made  a  light  veil  in  expressing 
them  expedient,  but  the  genius  of  Hugo 
adds  a  special  charm;  if  she  can  sympa 
thize  with  the  religion  of  Victor  Hugo  she 
has  found  the  one  held  by  Norris  or  by 
me,  but  when  I  come  to  think  of  what  I 
have  written  just  now,  I  nearly  deem  it  an 
injustice  to  my  friend  Norris  to  advise 
the  reading  of  Victor  Hugo's  poem,  no 
matter  how  beautiful,  as  an  explanation 
of  the  writings  of  Willam  Norris.  Norris 
is  lucid  enough  for  even  an  ordinary  mind, 
and  I  can  only  sympathize  with  your 
friend  for  her  lack  of  appreciation.  As  I 
said  before,  I  hope  I  have  not  been  harsh 


138  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

in  my  criticism  and  reflections :  believe  me, 
they  are  not  intentional  and  must  be  reck 
oned  on  the  score  of  friendship. 

But  let  me  now  come  to  personal  affairs. 
Oh,  how  I  wish  to  make  myself  worthy  of 
your  high  opinion  by  noble  deeds  and 
action,  but  I  am  afraid  your  expectations 
of  me  and  my  power  are  too  great.  Any 
man,  no  matter  how  high  his  position  and 
how  great  his  nominal  power,  is  only  a 
wheel  in  a  carefully  planned  and  regulat 
ed  system.  You  want  me  to  open  up  an 
investigation  of  public  institutions  in 
California  and  give  to  other  cities  and 
their  district  attorneys  a  shining  example. 
I  fear  greatly  the  result  of  such  an  experi 
ment  would  be  a  warning  to  other  officials 
not  to  walk  in  my  footsteps. 

Behind  the  recognized  powers  of 
authority  selected  by  the  people  there  are 
others  not  seen  by  them.  There  is  the 
press,  the  eye  of  the  public  which  must  be 
taken  into  account.  This  press  is  owned 
and  controlled  by  the  powers  of  high 
finance.  The  writers  are  miserable  un 
fortunates  and  sometimes  unwilling  tools. 
They  must  present  to  the  people  the  views 
of  their  masters  and  most  of  them  are  so 
accustomed  to  this  that  they  have  no  long 
er  a  thought  of  their  own,  so  that  a  Repub 
lican  paper  bought  by  a  Democratic  poli 
tician  or  vice  versa,  need  make  no  change 
in  the  editorial  staff;  the  same  persons 
who  have  been  writing  for  one  side,  just 
as  willingly  write  now  for  the  other.  When 
a  paper,  or  rather  its  owner,  transfers  his 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  139 

allegiance  to  an  opposing  party  or  candi 
date  the  idea  never  enters  the  owner's 
mind  that  his  editors  might  object  to  a 
transference  of  their  supposed  partisan 
ship.  My  assertions  may  seem  to  you 
strange  but  I  will  support  them  by  facts 
familiar  to  all.  Mr.  Kearst  last  year  did 
not  have  to  discharge  a  single  writer, 
when  he  reversed  his  attitude  towards 
Bryan  and  the  Democratic  party  and  I  am 
sure  that  the  New  York  Staats  Zeitung, 
the  most  influential  paper  among  the  Ger 
mans,  made  no  changes  in  its  staff  when  it 
became  from  a  bitter  opponent  a  most  en 
thusiastic  supporter  of  W.  J.  Bryan.  The 
owners  of  these  papers  would  have  smiled 
at  such  a  possibility  as  one  of  their  editors 
having  political  views  of  his  own.  Why  the 
public  is  not  aware  of  these  things  seems  a 
mystery,  they  half  know  them,  but  seem  to 
be  unable  to  draw  the  logical  conclusions. 
I  could  tell  many  stories  of  the  power  of 
the  press  exercised  occasionally  for  good 
but  often  for  evil,  but  space  and  time 
forbid. 

I  intend  to  feel  my  way  concerning  the 
advisability  and  expediency  of  a  public  in 
vestigation,  and  keep  you  informed.  But 
there  is  one  point  to  which  I  would  like  to 
call  your  attention.  Supposing  I  should 
succeed  in  focusing  the  searchlight  of  an 
official  investigation  (using  your  own 
beautiful  expression)  on  the  public  insti 
tutions  of  California,  and  inflict  the 
penalty  of  the  law  upon  some  officials  and 
attendants,  would  existing  abuses  and  cor- 


140  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ruption  thereby  be  abolished?  Would  I 
rather  not  have  plucked  a  few  leaves  to 
make  room  for  some  others?  There  was, 
in  the  state  in  which  you  are  today,  such 
an  investigation  carried  on  by  a  governor 
enthusiastic  --for  human  rights  and  equal 
justice.  Kindly  inform  yourself  concern 
ing  its  final  results  and  investigate  the  fate 
and  fortunes  of  Ben  Butler.  Did  you  ever 
hear  of  John  Altgeld,  a  former  governor 
of  Illinois,  as  good  and  noble  and  fearless 
a  man  as  the  world  has  ever  seen?  He 
died  practically  a  pauper,  of  a  broken 
heart,  forsaken  and  betrayed  like  Ben 
Butler  by  those  whom  he  tried  to  benefit. 
Call  to  your  mind  the  story  of  the  Christ, 
the  reformer  of  Galilee  and  the  quick 
change  of  sentiment  in  the  dear  public. 
How  quickly  was  the  cry  hosannah!  hos- 
annah  !  changed  to  crucify  !  crucify !  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  the  Gracchi,  the  noble 
Romans  and  their  fate?  Well  I  do  not 
wish  to  multiply  examples  still  further. 

Might  I  recommend  to  you  the  reading 
of  another  book  from  which  a  great  les 
son  can  be  learned  :"Don  Quixote"  by  Cer 
vantes?  I  was  tempted  to  mention  this 
book  to  you  before  this,  but  I  did  not  wish 
to  dampen  your  ardor  in  a  noble  cause.  I 
do  not  think  its  reading  would  have  de 
flected  your  course  which,  if  the  liberation 
of  your  friend,  Alice  De  Ruiz  should  be 
the  only  fruit,  was  crowned  with  such  suc 
cess,  but  I  expect  that  other  fruits  have 
been  reaped  by  many  others.  Margie  Har- 
beson,  I  feel  sure,  dried  many  a  tear  and 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  141 

caused  joy  in  many  a  poor  household 
since  her  departure  from  California. 

You  ask  for  my  opinion  on  political 
economy,  for  your  inquiry  as  to  the  cause 
of  poverty  and  wealth  amounts  to  this. 
Well,  I  must  acknowledge,  I  have  not 
arrived  at  any  definite  conclusion  on  this 
much  discussed  subject.  As  a  science  it  is 
very  intricate  and  an  abstract  dissertation 
would  hardly  be  to  your  taste.  Examine 
with  your  own  eyes.  Did  you  ever  hear 
anything  of  John  Ruskin,  William  Nor- 
ris,  Edward  Bellamy?  You  told  me  you 
read  some  books  of  Jack  London.  All 
these  names  are  beacon  lights  on  the  sub 
ject  of  political  economy,  which  is  the 
science  of  wealth  and  poverty,  their  cause 
and  effect.  Why  not  attend  some  Social 
istic  lectures  in  Boston,  the  home  of  Gar 
rison,  Wendell  Phillips,  Emerson,  Theo 
dore  Parker,  all  good  names  in  the  history 
of  human  progress?  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  the  Concord  Brook  Farm  Colony  form 
ed  nearly  100  years  ago?  But  be  careful 
when  visiting  the  socialists ;  most  of  them 
have  keen  minds  and  strong  intellects  and 
are  no  lovers  of  ceremonies  nor  fond  of 
etiquette  and  social  distinctions. 

When  we  look  today  at  life  in  general 
and  at  the  condition  of  man  in  particular 
and  especially  at  government  it  is  not  easy 
to  subscribe  to  the  philosophical  dictum 
of  good,  but  maybe  there  is  in  the  destiny 
of  man  underlying  thread  so  fine  as  to 
escape  the  eye  of  the  ordinary  mortal, 
which  thread  might  furnish  an  explana- 


142  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

tion  or  even  justification  of  seeming 
wrongs  and  injustices;  but  as  I  have  said 
before,  I  have  not  arrived  at  any  definite 
conclusions  on  these  points.  There  are  in 
Boston  various  schools  of  thought  who 
claim  to  be  in  possession  of  such  a  thread. 
Why  not  make  an  investigation  and  allow 
me  to  share  in  the  result? 

If  I  have  had  the  honor  to  be  mention 
ed  to  your  friend,  Miss  De  Ruiz,  kindly 
give  her  my  best  regard.  I  hope  to  hear 
from  you  soon. 

Mrs.  Lawson  read  this  letter  several  times 
and  pondered  deeply  over  its  contents.  Should 
she  show  her  correspondence  with  Morgan  to 
Alice?  After  a  short  reflection  she  decided  the 
question  in  the  affirmative,  and  true  to  her 
custom  to  act  after  a  decision  had  been  reach 
ed,  she  went  to  the  room  of  Miss  De  Ruiz  with 
Morgan's  letter  and  a  copy  of  her  own. 

Swedenborg  lays  great  stress  upon  the  ex 
istence  of  a  law  of  harmony  or  affinity  which  he 
claims  to  exist  between  two  persons  occupying 
the  same  plane  of  mental  and  spiritual  de 
velopment,  by  which  law  they  understand  and 
communicate  to  each  other  sometimes  their 
ideas  as  it  were  by  a  kind  of  mental  telepathy. 
Such  a  law  must  have  been  operative  between 
Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz,  for  as  soon  as 
Mrs.  Lawson  entered  the  room  her  friend, 
Miss  De  Ruiz  recognized  that  she  had  a 
special  communication,  and  as  they  were  seat 
ed  in  front  of  each  other  Miss  De  Ruiz  with 
out  saying  a  word  looked  at  her  visitor  with 
expectant  eyes.  In  reply  to  the  look  Mrs. 
Lawson  remarked,  "You  act  as  if  you  expect- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  143 

ed  some  special  news,  and  you  might  be  right 
but  I  never  knew  that  my  face  was  such  an 
open  book  or  are  you  especially  gifted  in  mind- 
reading?" 

Miss  De  Ruiz  laughed.  "Not  that  I  know 
of,  but  without  my  being  able  to  tell  I  some 
how  got  the  impression  just  now  that  you  were 
the  bearer  of  some  remarkable  and  even  good 
news." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  about  this,  Miss  De  Ruiz; 
I  hope  it  will  turn  out  to  be  useful  news,  and 
before  I  can  give  you  this  news  I  want  to  dis 
cuss  something  else.  Our  formal  address  for 
one  another  is  hardly  in  accord  with  our  fam 
iliarity  and  I  might  say  intimate  relations. 
There  is  a  beautiful  custom  in  Europe 
especially  in  Germany  that  a  bond  of  friend 
ship  between  two  persons  is  sealed  by  their 
calling  each  other  by  their  Christian  names 
and  using  the  second  person  in  their  address. 
Our  language  today  does  not  admit  the  latter 
part  of  that  custom  but  I  think  Margie  and 
Alice  would  sound  really  nice." 

"I  am  sure  that  Alice  will,  but  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  look  up  to  you  as  my  benefac- 
toress  so  that  to  call  you  Margie  will  sound  a 
little  strange  to  me;  but  I  thank  you  very 
much." 

"But  now  to  my  news — to  be  frank  with  you, 
I  had  hesitated  a  few  minutes  before  resolving 
to  give  it  to  you,  fearing  to  have  infringed 
upon  what  you  might  consider  your  private 
and  personal  affairs,  but  you  are  somewhat 
responsible  for  it  yourself.  Your  wish  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Morgan  influenced  my 
action.  I  have  here  two  letters,  one  from  me 


144  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  Morgan  and  the  other  his  answer.  I  want 
you  to  read  them  carefully  and  reflect  over 
them,  and  then  if  you  wish  we  can  discuss  and 
deliberate." 

When  Alice  De  Ruiz  had  read  the  letters 
she  sat  thinking  for  a  long  time.  In  her  mind 
she  went  once  more  over  the  period  of  her  ac 
quaintance  with  William  Norris  and  their 
courtship.  His  upright  character,  his  manli 
ness  and  moral  honesty  she  had  never  doubted 
in  her  darkest  moments.  Many  times  of  late, 
some  misgivings  about  the  correctness  of  her 
own  attitude  had  again  and  again  knocked  at 
first  humbly  and  then  more  and  more  boldly  at 
at  the  door  of  her  own  conscience.  Now 
Morgan's  remarks  and  strong  declarations  of 
admiration  and  friendship  for  his  friend  Mr. 
Norris  had  touched  her  deeply.  But  for  a  long 
time  her  thoughts  refused  to  take  a  definite 
shape  that  would  lead  to  a  precise  resolution. 
Finally  she  arose  and  in  a  half  abstracted 
manner  went  to  the  room  of  her  friend. 

Mrs.  Lawson  had  awaited  her  coming  not 
altogether  free  from  anxiety,  but  a  look  at 
Alice  set  her  fears  at  rest.  A  quiet  and  serene 
countenance  and  eyes  full  of  hope  and  con 
fidence  met  her  inquiring  look. 

"I  first  wish  to  thank  you,  Margie,"  said 
Alice,  "for  your  confidence,  and  please  when 
you  write  again  to  Mr.  Morgan  send  him  my 
best  wishes.  And  when  I  think  of  it,"  she  con 
tinued  as  if  a  certain  thought  had  struck  her, 
"why  not  follow  the  advice  of  Mr.  Morgan 
and  seek  the  mental  treasures  deposited  in 
Boston?" 

"Thus   far,   my  dear  Alice,   I  have  seen  so 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  145 

little  of  that  much  boasted  Boston  culture  that 
I  am  inclined  to  doubt  its  very  existence,  but 
I  am  perfectly  willing  to  go  in  search  of  it  in 
your  company.  The  question  is  where  to  look 
for  this  treasure.  I  think  I  will  ask  Mr.  Ber- 
win." 

She  called  Mr.  Berwin  to  the  'phone  and 
asked  him,  if  disengaged,  to  come  to  the  hotel. 
In  less  than  an  hour  this  gentleman  made  his 
appearance  and  Mrs.  Lawson  in  a  half  jocular 
manner  asked  his  advice  about  the  wells  of 
Boston  culture.  "Thus  far,"  she  remarked,  "I 
have  not  seen  the  slightest  trace  of  such  a 
thing." 

Mr.  Berwin  at  first  seemed  surprised,  then  a 
slight  understanding  smile  came  to  his  lips  and 
he  said  slowly,  "So  you  have  not  found  the 
slightest  trace  of  the  springs  of  Boston  cul 
ture?  I  can  readily  explain  that.  Your  eyes, 
Mrs.  Lawson,  were  turned  in  the  opposite 
direction.  There  are  two  Bostons,  the  same  as 
there  are  two  Londons,  two  Paris,  and  two 
Berlins,  and  one  part  in  each  of  these  cities 
knows  but  little  of  the  other.  I  think  sometimes 
the  extremes  are  even  greater  in  Boston  than 
in  any  other  American  city.  The  one  extreme 
is  sometimes  called  the  working  class;  at  an 
other  time  the  ignorant  class ;  at  election  times, 
the  designation  is  'the  people.'  The  other 
extreme  is  usually  called  the  educated,  the  lei 
sure  class  or  simply  'society.'  It  seems  to  me 
the  so  called  lower  or  working  classes  of  Bos 
ton  are  more  brutal  and  more  vicious  than 
those  of  any  other  American  city.  Statistics 
give  Boston  the  greatest  number  of  deaths  from 
alcoholism.  My  explanation  is  this.  Our  work- 


146  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ing  classes  recruit  themselves  chiefly  from  the 
latest  emigrants  and  their  descendants.  Bos 
ton  is  today  practically  an  Irish  city.  About 
one-half  of  the  population  is  of  that  nation 
ality.  Religion,  the  great  uplifting  force,  is 
absent  in  their  cases.  You  look  at  me  in  sur 
prise,  and  I  frankly  admit  most  people  would 
feel  as  you  do,  but  when  I  speak  of  religion  I 
mean  the  real  not  nominal  or  exterior  religion. 
Of  the  latter  the  Irish  and  even  their  descen 
dants  have  more  than  their  full  share.  The 
population  of  Boston  is  Catholic,  and  this 
church  has  confined  the  emphasis  of  its  teach 
ing  to  outward  conformity  to  its  dictates  and 
its  dogmas.  As  long  as  a  member  of  this  faith 
hears  Mass  on  Sunday,  contributes  his  share  to 
parish  expenses,  abstains  from  meat  on  Fri 
day,  he  passes  and  considers  himself  a  model 
son  of  the  church.  Morals,  duties  of  man  to 
man  or  of  citizenship  never  enter  into  the  ser 
mon  of  the  average  priest.  From  his  Mass  on 
Sunday  a  good  churchgoer  may  go  on  a  de 
bauch,  and  find  himself  on  his  awakening  in  a 
prison  cell,  but  his  religious  conscience  will  be 
at  perfect  ease.  I  again  see  from  the  expres 
sion  in  your  face  that  you  think  I  exaggerate. 
I  could  give  you  several  illustrations,  but  will 
confine  myself  to  two  of  which  I  have  docu 
mentary  evidence.  In  a  recent  raid  in  a  so- 
called  house  of  ill-fame,  the  inmates  asked 
leave  to  go  to  their  rooms  and  take  with  them 
some  of  their  belongings.  The  instrument 
with  which  every  one  was  equipped  for  a  pos 
sible  lengthy  stay  in  prison,  was  a  rosary. 

"A  man,  recently  my  client,  a  conductor  on 
the    elevated,  about    five    years    ago,  married    a 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          147 

woman  of  'the  street/  He  was  then  and  is  still 
a  very  devout  Catholic.  But,  while  he  insisted 
that  his  mate  should  become  a  member 
of  his  own  faith,  he  had  no  objection  to  her 
continuing  to  make  money  in  her  trade  or  even 
more  illegally.  The  woman  was  in  court  the 
other  day  for  abstracting  seventy  dollars  out  of 
a  man's  pocket,  and  the  fact  was  brought  out 
during  the  trial  that  she  had  given  half  of  that 
sum  to  her  husband.  When  I  asked  the  man, 
how  he  could  reconcile  such  actions  with  his 
religion,  he  said  quite  surprised,  'What  has  that 
to  do  with  my  religion?'  This  man  would  not 
miss  Mass  on  Sunday  or  eat  meat  on  Friday 
for  a  kingdom.  It  is  a  common  sight  to  see  a 
drunken  man  lift  his  hat  when  passing  a  Catho 
lic  Church.  Over  75%  of  the  inmates  of  the 
women-prison  in  Sherborn  are  Catholics  and 
most  of  them  deeply  religious, — that  is  in  their 
own  eyes.  The  sight  in  the  working  class 
districts  on  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  beg 
gars  description.  But  the  strangest  thing  to  me 
is,  how  in  the  face  of  these  things,  attested  by 
observation  and  government  statistics,  the 
rulers  of  the  Catholic  Church  dare  to  speak  of 
the  beneficial  effect  of  their  religion  upon 
morality,  and  yet  stranger  is  the  aquiescence 
to  such  a  claim  by  thinking  people.  I  think  I 
have  proved  my  case  when  I  speak  of  the 
absence  of  religion  in  the  lower  strata  of  Bos 
ton's  population.  Religion  in  my  opinion  might 
be  divided  into  two  parts :  our  duties  to  God 
and  our  duties  to  man.  The  first  part  is  useless 
without,  the  second.  It  means  either  hypocrisy 
or  ignorance.  This  fact  is  emphasised  nowhere 
more  strongly  than  in  the  words  of  the  Christ, 


148  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

and  we  read  them  in  the  Bible.  His  teachings 
consist  nearly  exclusively  in  instructions  con 
cerning  our  duties  to  our  neighbor.  In  fact 
He  clearly  shows  that  we  can  only  serve  God 
through  our  neighbor. 

"I  do  not  doubt  that  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
truth  in  what  you  say,  yet  I  think  your  coloring 
is  too  strong,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson.  "You 
are  not  doing  justice  to  the  Catholic  Church; 
she  has  exercised  a  strong  influence,  and  not 
always  for  the  bad,  on  Christian  civilization. 
She  has  given  us  such  men  as  St.  Francis  and 
Thomas  Moore,  and  such  women  as  St.  Cath 
erine,  St.  Theresa  and  Joan  of  Arc.  You  can 
not  altogether  blame  the  church  for  the  short 
comings  of  her  members ;  a  religion  for  the 
faults  of  its  devotees." 

"  'By  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them/  we 
read  in  the  good  book,"  replied  Mr.  Berwin. 
"Exceptions  only  prove  the  rule.  You  will  find 
examples  of  individual  greatness  and  benevo 
lence  even  among  savages.  Goodness  might 
exist  in  man  in  spite  of  his  religion.  We  might 
continue  the  discusson  of  this  subject  at  some 
future  time.  Let  us  now  look  at  a  more 
pleasant  picture,  especially  as  this  is  the  object 
of  your  search  and  consequently  the  cause  of 
my  visit.  There  is  another  Boston,  and  that 
other  Boston  has  well  earned  its  reputation  for 
culture  and  idealistic  endeavor,  and  not  from 
students  at  Harvard  either,"  continued  Ber 
win.  "The  centre  of  Boston  culture  is  not 
found  in  Cambridge."  He  stopped,  seemed 
lost  in  thought  as  if  to  increase  the  curiosity 
of  his  fair  listeners. 

"Well,"   said   Mrs.   Lawson,  half   incredulous 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          149 

and  somewhat  impatient,  "I  hope  this  centre  is 
not  a  secret  place  to  which  only  the  sesame  of 
a  special  key  procures  admission." 

"No,  no  indeed,"  replied  the  lawyer 
laughingly.  "The  place  itself  is  not  a  secret, 
but  the  thing  itself,  the  springs  of  culture  will 
not  be  so  apparent  at  first  sight,  neither  can 
they  be  seen  or  recognized  by  every  eye." 

"Just  tell  us  of  this  place,  Mr.  Berwin, 
minor  difficulties  or  a  first  obscurity  will  not 
frighten  or  discourage  us." 

"There  are  many  centers  of  culture,"  Ber 
win  answered  thoughtfully.  "I  will  indicate  a 
few  places  where  a  visitor  may  see  some  of 
their  sparks.  You  know  Copley  Square  where 
the  library  is  situated;  at  the  opposite  side 
there  is  a  building  called  Huntington  Chamh 
bers.  You  will  find  there  many  new,  strange 
and  interesting  things;  and  then,  the  Kensing 
ton,  (whose  owner  is  spoken  of  as  the  meanest 
landlord  in  Boston)  has  of  late  also  become 
quite  a  headquarters  for  some  intellectual  cur 
rents  for  which  Boston  has  become  famous. 
From  these  two  buildings  you  would  be  able  to 
trace  many  ramifications  that  will  lead  in  var 
ious  directions.  You  will  find  charlatans  and 
fakirs,  the  sophist  is  nowhere  absent,  and 
many  pseudoprophets  and  prophetesses  are 
strongly  in  evidence;  but  if  you  will  look  care 
fully  enough  you  will  find  precious  pearls." 

"All  right,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson  thought 
fully,  "we  thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind 
information,  and  I  think  I  can  say  for  me  and 
my  friend  that  it  will  not  be  our  fault  if  we  do 


150  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

not  find  some  intellectual  gems  at  your  'hyper 
borean'    spring   of    Boston,    the    home    of    new 


isms. 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN  SEARCH  OF  BOSTON  CULTURE 

The  next  Sunday  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Alice 
De  Ruiz  went  to  Huntington  Chambers,  and 
there  they  saw  indeed  a  new  world,  as  it  were, 
a  resurrected  Babylon.  On  several  bulletin 
boards  lectures  of  all  kinds  were  announced. 
There  were  to  be  addresses  on  "New  Thought," 
on  "Hinduism,"  on  "Theosophy,"  on  "Astrol 
ogy,"  on  "The  Kabbala,"  on  the  "New  Fellow 
ship,"  on  "Swedenborgism,"  on  "Spiritual 
ism,"  on  "Socialism,"  and  on  "Anarchy."  A 
Babylon  of  isms  had  opened  its  gates. 

When  they  entered  the  portals  of  the  build 
ing  the  soft  strains  of  solemn  music  were 
wafted  to  their  ears.  Following  the  direction  of 
the  music  they  soon  found  themselves  in  a 
beautifully  decorated  hall  filled  with  a  fashion 
able  audience,  and  listened  to  the  words  ac 
companying  the  hymn,  "I  cloth  myself  safely 
around  with  Heavenly  love  and  wisdom."  The 
very  atmosphere  of  the  place  seemed  pleasing, 
predisposing  the  mind  to  calm  contemplation 
and  meditation.  (When  will  the  western  world 
learn  from  the  Greeks  the  importance  of 
human  thought,  when  will  they  recognize  that 
our  thoughts  permeate  the  atmosphere  and  ex 
ercise  an  influence  for  good  or  evil?)  Our  two 
ladies  made  a  critical  survey  of  the  congrega 
tion,  and  were  struck  with  the  expression  of 


152  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

joyful  serenity  on  nearly  every  face.  Dress 
and  bearing  indicated  the  fashionable  world, 
but  the  features  bore  evidence  of  an  intellect 
ual  life  seldom  found  in  the  ordinary  circles  of 
what  is  called  society.  The  address  or  sermon 
was  given  by  a  gentleman  whose  garb  was  that 
of  the  ordinary  preacher,  but  whose  attitude 
and  demeanor  differed  widely  from  that  of  the 
common  pilot  to  the  Heavenly  regions.  Still 
more  different  was  his  address  or  sermon. 
The  names  of  Christ,  of  Laotze  and  Krishna 
were  combined  in  one  sentence  as  bearers  of 
divine  light  to  the  human  race  and  with  a  voice 
that  spoke  of  deep  conviction  and  sincerity  he 
pointed  out  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within, 
that  we  ourselves  make  our  own  Heaven  or 
Hell  of  our  own  thoughts  and  deeds  in  the  past 
and  in  the  present.  Our  two  ladies  listened 
carefully,  and  they  were  not  always  sure  of  the 
preacher's  meaning,  nor  were  they  willing  to 
endorse  the  views  proclaimed,  but  they  were 
charmed  by  his  earnestness,  by  the  simplicity 
of  the  service,  and  the  solemn  reverence  of  the 
audience. 

The  meeting  came  to  an  end  at  about  twelve 
o'clock.  They  then  gave  another  look  at  the 
bulletin  boards  and  saw  that  the  meetings  ad 
vertised  would  not  commence  until  three 
o'clock;  so  they  returned  to  their  hotel  and  on 
their  way  back  they  discussed  the  meeting. 
Alice  objected  strenuously  to  the  putting  of 
Laotze  and  Krishna  on  a  level  with  Christ.  "I 
did  not  feel  it  so  strongly,"  she  said,  "when  I 
was  listening  to  the  sermon,  but,  when  I  think 
of  it  now,  to  put  Christ  on  a  level  with  heathen 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  153 

gods  or  idols,  why  it  is  a  sacrilege  and  blas 
phemy." 

"I  am  not  sure  of  that,  Alice,"  replied  the 
elder  musingly;  "I  suppose  the  followers  of 
Laotze  or  Krishna  might  feel  the  same  way  if 
some  one  would  put  Christ  on  a  level  with 
their  divinity." 

"But  there  can  only  be  one  true  religion!" 
exclaimed  Alice,  her  voice  indicating  the  agita 
tion  of  her  mind. 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that  either,  Alice.  Con 
sider  the  resemblance  of  the  two  words  Krish 
na  and  Christ,  does  not  this  seem  odd  and  give 
room  to  various  speculations?" 

Alice  looked  at  her  friend  and  seemed 
bewildered. 

"We  had  better  not  go  too  deep  into  this  sub 
ject  just  now,"  said  the  elder  woman  after  a 
few  moments  of  silence.  "Life  is  a  strange 
mystery,  and  the  strangest  thing  and  the  most 
incomprehensible  is  our  own  self  and  our  own 
existence;  and  I  am  becoming  more  and  more 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  different  things 
seem  and  are  different  to  different  people;  but 
I  think  as  long  as  we  listen  to  the  voice  of  our 
conscience  we  can  do  no  wrong." 

In  the  afternoon  they  returned  to  Hunting- 
ton  Chambers;  they  listened  for  a  few  minutes 
to  an  exponent  of  astrology,  but  failed  to  get 
interested.  Alice  especially  seemed  bored.  They 
left  and  entered  into  the  next  room  where  a 
Kabbalist  held  forth  his  wares.  Strange  figures 
and  outlandish  words  seemed  very  mysterious ; 
but  the  mystery  seemed  deepened  instead  of 
solved  by  the  explanations  given,  and  they  left 
there  also  and  wandered  around  the  corridor 


154  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

for  a  few  minutes;  then  their  attention  was 
attracted  by  a  strong  voice  coming  from  the 
floor  below.  They  descended  and  entered  the 
room  of  the  strong  voiced  lecturer.  At  first 
they  had  great  difficulties  here  also  to  get  the 
message  of  this  apostle.  The  words  capitalism, 
revolution,  strike,  were  mixed  with  such  as 
marriage  and  divorce;  they  had  come  to  a 
meeting  of  anarchists.  The  lecture  was  on 
marriage,  and  the  speaker  was  not  too  choice 
in  his  words  in  which  he  poured  forth  his  in 
vectives  against  the  government,  against  reli 
gion,  against  bourgeoisie,  and  against  marri 
age.  Alice  looked  at  Mrs.  Lawson;  her  face 
was  flushed  and  bore  evidence  of  indignation 
and  grief. 

"Let  us  go,"  she  whispered. 

"All  right." 

Many  eyes  were  directed  towards  them  as 
their  elegant  figures  slowly  went  down  the 
aisle  to  the  door.  In  some  eyes  Mrs.  Lawson 
thought  she  saw  expressions  of  hate  and  re 
sentment,  but  no  audible  remarks  were  made. 

"You  are  a  little  too  sensitive,  yet,  Alice ;  try 
to  be  able  to  look  at  the  ugly  side  of  life ;  things 
are  not  as  bad  as  they  seem;  nor  are  men 
always  as  wicked  as  they  speak." 

"I  wish  I  were  like  you,"  replied  Alice; 
"mud  seems  unable  to  reach  you.  I  suppose  I 
am  built  of  less  strong  material;  I  have  less 
powers  of  resistance." 

"I  think  you  are  wrong  again,  Alice;  the 
whiter  the  dress  the  more  noticeable  the  stain 
but  let  us  not  get  into  a  controversy  over  our 
respected  merits  or  demerits.  In  due  time  you 
will  become  less  sensitive,  when  you  will  have 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  155 

seen  a  little  more  of  life.  Here  I  see  a  lecture 
on  'New  Thought'  advertised  from  five  to 
six.  Shall  we  wait?  And  here  is  a  lecture  on 
'Reincarnation'  at  a  Theosophical  lodge  at  8 
P.  M.  Shall  we  take  in  both  or  one?" 

"Let  us  take  some  fresh  air,  Margie,"  said 
Alice,  pleadingly,  "and  then  take  in  the  lecture 
on  Reincarnation.  Did  you  ever  hear  anything 
of  that  Theosophical  Society  before?" 

"I  have  heard  some  of  my  acquaintances  in 
California  speak  of  it  sometimes,"  said  Mrs. 
Lawson.  "There  is  a  certain  Mrs.  Tingley  who 
established  a  kind  of  colony  in  Point  Loma ; 
some  called  her  an  adventuress;  others  spoke 
of  her  in  terms  of  the  highest  praise.  As  far 
I  can  remember  the  sect  or  society  was  found 
ed  by  a  Russian  woman  named  Blavatsky,  a 
low  adventuress  according  to  some,  and  a  God 
inspired  prophetess  according  to  others.  A  man 
named  Olcott,  a  rich  lawyer  and  politician,  be 
came  one  of  her  main  associates,  or  dupes,  as 
some  put  it;  I  am  really  curious  about  these 
people  and  their  thoughts." 

"The  term  Theosophy,"  replied  Alice  De 
Ruiz,  "is  quite  a  pretentious  one.  Theos,  I 
remember,  is  the  Greek  word  for  God,  and 
Sophia  stands  for  knowledge,  so  Theosophy  I 
take  it  must  mean  knowledge  of  God.  I  have 
a  hard  job  to  understand  myself,  and  shall 
these  people  understand  God?" 

At  eight  o'clock  they  returned  to  Hunting- 
ton  Chambers  to  listen  to  the  address  on  Rein 
carnation. 

Before  introducing  the  speaker  of  the  even 
ing  the  chairman  made  some  remarks  about  the 
Theosophical  Society.  He  stated  that  the  main 


156  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

object  and  the  only  obligatory  tenet  for  mem 
bership  was  a  recognition  of  the  brotherhood 
of  man.  The  other  two  objects  were  the  study 
of  unexplained  laws  of  nature,  and  the  com 
parative  study  of  the  religions  of  the  world. 
Then  came  the  speaker  of  the  evening.  She  was 
a  very  modest  and  diffident  looking  young  lady. 
Very  inexpensively  dressed,  small  of  stature 
and  with  the  face  of  a  child.  Her  demeanor 
and  appearance  was  the  very  opposite  of  what 
Alice  had  expected  of  an  exponent  of  Theo- 
sophy,  the  science  of  God.  Her  introductory 
remarks  were  still  more  remarkable.  She  took 
pains  to  impress  her  audience  with  the  fact 
that  her  address  contained  no  original  matter, 
that  she  only  had  gathered  together  some  of 
the  teachings  of  the  world's  greatest  thinkers. 
She  then  proceeded  to  explain  that  reincarna 
tion  meant  the  successive  wanderings  of  the 
soul  through  many  bodies  until  Godhood  was 
reached.  "We  all  have  been  here  many  times, 
maybe  thousands  of  times  before,"  she  de 
clared,  "and  most  likely  will  have  to  return 
many  thousands  of  times  more."  She  main 
tained  further  that  we  were  on  earth  to  get  ex 
perience  which  was  to  be  digested  in  the 
heaven  world  called  Devachan.  She  laid  stress 
on  the  difference  between  the  words  metem 
psychosis  and  reincarnation;  explained  that 
the  first  term  signified  possible  retrogression,  a 
return  to  the  animal  kingdom,  whereas  the 
latter  word  precluded  such  a  possibility.  She 
then  asserted  that  one-half  of  the  world  today 
believed  in  reincarnation;  that  it  had  been  held 
by  ancient  Greeks  and  their  philosophers;  that 
Christ  taught  it  and  she  mentioned  as  evidence 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  157 

of  her  last  assertion  the  story  of  the  man  born 
blind  and  the  answer  given;  the  question  of 
Jesus  to  his  apostles ;  "who  do  men  say  that 
I  am/*  and  the  proclamation  ot  John  as  Elias 
come  again.  She  then  quoted  modern  writers 
and  poets  such  as  Wordsworth,  Coleridge, 
Shakespeare,  Tennyson,  Emerson,  Ruskin 
and  Whitman,  Goethe,  Schiller,  and  Lessing, 
Victor  Hugo  and  Honore  De  Balzac,  as  ex 
ponents  of  and  believers  in  the  doctrine  of  re 
incarnation.  Most  of  us,  she  declared,  for  our 
own  good  do  not  remember  our  previous  life, 
but  more  highly  evolved  souls  sometimes  do. 
She  claimed  that  Pythagoras  remembered  nine 
of  his  previous  incarnations ;  that  Goethe  re 
membered  his  previous  existence  as  a  Roman 
and  gave  us  as  the  period  of  his  former  life  the 
time  of  Emperor  Hadrian;  that  Ruskin  recog 
nized  himself  as  St.  Chrisostom.  The  speaker 
intimated  that  if  we  lead  a  good  and  noble  life 
on  earth  we  will  reap  the  benefits  not  only  in 
the  heaven  world  but  also  on  our  next  return 
to  this  planet;  that  the  conditions  under  which 
we  would  be  reborn  were  being  determined  by 
the  actions  of  our  present  life. 

This  little,  timid  speaker  spoke  with  such 
gravity,  such  a  deep  conviction  lay  in  her 
words  that  any  doubt  as  to  her  sincerity  was 
excluded.  She  descended  from  the  rostrum 
looking  as  timid  and  diffident  as  when  she  had 
ascended.  She  seemed  not  in  the  slightest  con 
scious  of  having  done  anything  out  of  the 
ordinary.  Nor  did  the  audience  manifest  any 
particular  signs  of  admiration  or  approbation. 
Such  a  thing  as  applause  seemed  banished 
from  Theosophical  assemblies;  only  an  elder- 


158  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ly  lady,  as  the  speaker  returned  to  her  seat, 
stepped  out  and  kissed  the  speaker  on  the  fore 
head  as  a  mother  would  kiss  a  beloved  daugh 
ter.  The  meeting  closed  with  the  singing  of  a 
hymn ;  and  our  two  friends  were  surprised  and 
deeply  moved  when  they  heard  the  soft  solemn 
strain  and  the  accompanying  words,  —  "I 
clothe  myself  safely  around  with  infinite  love 
and  wisdom." 

After  the  meeting  the  people  began  to  greet 
and  chat  with  one  another.  Mrs.  Lawson  and 
Alice  De  Ruiz  tried  to  approach  the  little 
speaker  and  express  some  words  of  apprecia 
tion. 

"Ask  her  to  come  to  the  hotel,"  whispered 
Alice. 

When  Mrs.  Lawson  had  succeeded  in  get 
ting  the  ear  of  the  little  speaker  she  introduc 
ed  herself  and  Alice  as  two  strangers  who  had 
heard  today  their  first  exposition  of  Theoso- 
phy,  and  she  continued,  "I  and  my  friend 
would  like  to  hear  more  of  it;  could  you  not 
come  to  see  us  some  day  and  give  us  some  fur 
ther  information  on  that  subject?" 

"Oh,  there  are  many  much  better  qualified 
for  that  than  I  am,  and  then  I  have  to  work  in 
the  daytime." 

"I  would  gladly  compensate  you  for  your 
time,"  suggested  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Oh  no,  I  would  never  accept  a  material 
reward  for  giving  anyone  what  little  I  know  of 
Theosophy." 

"Could  you  come  some  evening,  or  if  you 
prefer  we  might  come  to  see  you." 

"I  have  only  a  very  small  room,  hardly  suit 
able  to  receive  guests,"  answered  the  little  lee- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  159 

turer,  and  her  eyes  glided  over  the  elegant  ap 
parel  of  her  two  interrogators. 

"What  evening  could  you  come?  It  would 
really  be  a  great  favor/' 

"Well,  I  could  come  next  Tuesday." 

Mrs.  Lawson  gave  her  card  on  which  was 
also  written  the  name  of  her  hotel.  The  little 
speaker  took  out  of  her  pocket-book  two  plain 
cards  of  the  cheapest  material  on  which  was 
written,  Miss  Alma  Lenz. 

On  their  way  home  they  exchanged  their  im 
pressions.  Alice  especially  was  deeply  thought 
ful. 

"I  think/'  she  remarked,  "our  Shakespeare 
was  again  proved  to  be  right  today  when  he 
says,  'There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and 
earth,  Horatio,  than  are  dreamt  of  in  your 
philosophy/  These  people,"  she  continued,  as 
if  following  her  own  thoughts,  "are  undoubted 
ly  sincere  and  mean  well.  They  seem  to  pos 
sess  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  yet 
they  come  to  such  strange  and  seemingly 
absurd  conclusions." 

"Life  is  a  strange  riddle  indeed." 

"What  comes  next  on  our  program?"  There 
was  a  lecture  on  Socialism  advertised  on  the 
bulletin  board.  "I  think  a  little  investigation 
of  that  subject  might  prove  opportune.  Did 
you  ever  hear  anything  of  Socialism,  Alice?" 

"I  have  heard  the  word,  but  never  looked 
into  the  subject,  but  I  think  its  investigation 
will  be  necessary  for  the  completion  of  our 
education." 

"The  more  I  examine  things,  Alice,"  Mrs. 
Lawson  continued,  "the  more  I  become  im 
pressed  with  the  fact  that  things  are  reflected 


160  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

differently  from  different  minds  and  a  com 
parison  of  view  points  will  always  be  instruc 
tive.  The  difficulty  is  that  most  people  are  so 
moored  to  their  own  little  world,  they  move 
around  such  a  narrow  circle  that  they  cannot 
or  will  not,  see  the  great  world  beyond;  they 
refuse  to  listen  to  or  reflect  upon  the  opinion 
of  others/' 

'  'The  hardest  thing  in  the  world  is  to  think/ 
Emerson  writes  somewhere,"  Alice  De  Ruiz 
said  thoughtfully.  "I  wondered  at  that  sen 
tence  when  I  read  it.  The  Concord  Sage 
might  have  been  right,  yet  I  think  Emerson 
would  have  been  more  precise  had  he  said,  'to 
think  rightly/  that  is,  to  understand.  You  see 
I  was  thinking  then  a  little  differently  from 
what  I  do  now.  We  usually  think,  or  anyhow, 
think  we  think.  You  see  we  cannot  get  away 
from  thinking;  the  difficulty  is  to  understand." 

"I  think  you  will  yet  turn  out  a  philosopher, 
Alice,"  replied  Mrs.  Lawson  laughing.  "You 
analyze  well,  and  the  law  of  thinking,  that  is, 
logic,  once  mastered,  the  rest  is  easy." 

"Maybe  under  your  guidance,  my  dear 
Margie.  Your  information  that  logic  is  the  law 
of  thinking  is  again  a  valuable  adjunct  to  my 
knowledge." 

True  to  her  promise  Miss  Alma  Lenz  made 
her  appearance  on  the  evening  agreed  upon. 
She  was  dressed  neatly,  but  very  simply.  An 
experienced  eye  recognized  her  apparel  to  be  of 
durable  but  very  inexpensive  material.  Her 
whole  appearance  was  modesty  itself,  yet  she 
seemed  to  be  completely  free  from  embarrass 
ment. 

They  had    ordered    some    light    refreshment 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          161 

and  they  invited  Miss  Lenz  to  be  their  guest. 
But  she  declined  gracefully  saying  that  she  had 
eaten  supper  only  a  short  while  ago. 

"Well  just  take  a  cup  of  coffee,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  do  not  drink  coffee." 

The  positive  manner  in  which  the  words 
were  spoken  indicated  a  moral  objection  to 
that  innocent  beverage. 

"Do  you  think  it  wrong  to  drink  coffee?" 

"Not  for  all,  but  for  some." 

Then  seeing  the  wondering  faces  of  her 
hosts  she  continued,  "Our  teachers  say,  when 
the  desire  for  any  material  thing  threatens  to 
submerge  the  freedom  of  your  will,  then  the 
higher  Self  is  called  upon  to  assert  its  inde 
pendence  and  superiority.  The  greatest  temp 
tation  I  had  to  overcome  was  my  desire  for 
coffee;  I  did  not  succeed  at  once  in  getting  the 
mastery,  and  this  experience  has  taught  me  to 
sympathize  with  others  sometimes  struggling 
in  vain  to  overcome  their  appetites." 

"I  never  would  have  thought  that  coffee 
could  be  considered  morally  harmful.  I  have 
heard  it  often  called  the  intellectual  drink," 
said  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"You  are  perfectly  correct  in  your  assump 
tion,  Madam.  The  great  Swedenborg  indulged 
even  what  might  be  considered  immoderately 
in  that  beverage.  People  in  different  stages  of 
evolution  require  different  things.  I  have  a 
friend  who  often  quotes  the  Latin  phrase, 
'Quod  prodest  jovi  non  prodest  bom — What 
might  be  proper  for  the  savage  might  be  very 
improper  for  the  sage.' ''' 


1 62  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Do  you  mean  then  that  less  evolved  beings 
drunk  coffee  and  higher  ones  not?" 

A  pained  expression  passed  for  a  moment 
over  the  serene  features  of  Alma  Lenz. 

"Not  at  all"  she  replied.  "The  sage  may  even 
indulge  sometimes  his  appetite  in  a  way,  that 
would  greatly  injure  his  weaker  brother.  As 
I  said,  Swedenborg  drank  coffee  to  what  peo 
ple  would  think  excess,  Madame  Blavatsky 
smoked  cigarettes  nearly  continuously.  Ordin 
arily  of  course,  the  higher  the  mental  and 
spiritual  evolution,  the  less  a  soul  cares  for 
material  enjoyment." 

"Your  objection  to  coffee  then  has  nothing 
to  do  with  Theosophy?" 

"No,  not  directly." 

"Let  us  now  come  to  Theosophy." 

"I  heard  people  speak  of  your  society  in  Cal 
ifornia.  There  is,  I  think  a  kind  of  a  colony 
in  Point  Loma." 

"Oh,  that  is  not  my  society,  that  is  a  diff 
erent  branch." 

"Are  there  then  two  Theosophical 
Societies?" 

"Well  there  are  two  divisions,"  answered 
Miss  Lenz  hesitatingly. 

"Do  they  hold  different  views?" 

"No,  their  essential  principles  are  the  same. 
Both  claim  Madame  Blavatsky  as  their  found 
er." 

"Did  Madame  Blavatsky  originate  the 
teachings  which  you  hold?" 

"No,  Madam,  she  only  was,  and  never  claim 
ed  to  be  anything  else  than  an  instrument  of 
higher  powers." 

"How  did  it  come  that  there  are  two  Theo- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  163 

sophical  Societies,  or  divisions,  as  you  call 
them?" 

An  embarrassed  look  came  into  the  eyes  of 
Miss  Lenz;  she  hesitated  to  answer  and 
finally  said:  "It  is  quite  a  long  story,  and  then 
I  suppose  I  could  give  only  the  viewpoint  of 
our  side,  and  then  to  be  understood  a  good 
deal  of  the  Society's  history  would  have  to  be 
explained  first." 

"We'll  leave  that  for  another  time.  What 
struck  me  most  forcibly,"  continued  Mrs.  Law- 
son,  "was  that  you  claim  nearly  every  Western 
thinker  as  a  believer  in  reincarnation.  I  am 
willing  to  accept  your  declaration  that  this  be 
lief  is  held  in  China  or  Japan  or  in  India,  or 
that  the  ancient  Greeks  had  such  ideas,  but 
somehow  I  did  not,  and  do  not  see  how  you  can 
ascribe  such  beliefs  to  the  men  mentioned  in 
your  address." 

"I  came  prepared,  and  to  be  frank,  I  have 
waited  for  this  statement,"  answered  Miss 
Lenz. 

She  took  from  a  little  green  bag  which  she 
had  with  her  a  little  book  and  said  smiling, 
"This  book  has  furnished  the  material  for 
three-fourths  of  my  address  given  last  Sun 
day.  It  contains  the  statements  and  their  places 
of  the  authors  mentioned." 

She  opened  the  book  and  showed  the  pass 
ages  from  Wordsworth  and  Coleridge  and  the 
others  she  had  given  as  in  favor  of  reincarna- 
iton.  Some  of  the  pasages  seemed  vague  to 
Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  and  they  ven 
tured  to  say  that  poets  sometimes  needed 
figures  that  would  not  allow  a  literal  interpre 
tation,  but  had  to  admit  that  some  expressions, 


164  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

especially  those  of  Wordsworth,  Coleridge  or 
Emerson  hardly  admitted  a  different  interpre 
tation. 

"But  where  do  you  find  that  Goethe  actually 
remembered  his  previous  life?" 

"Here,"  and  Miss  Lenz  extracted  another 
book  from  her  little  bag.  "This  book  was 
written  by  Prof.  Heynacher  under  the  auspices 
of  the  German  Philosophical  Society.  Can 
you  read  German?"  she  then  asked. 

"Some,"  answered  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

Miss  Lenz  then  pointed  to  the  statements  of 
Goethe  where  he  speaks  of  his  reminiscences 
under  Emperor  Hadrian,  and  his  expectation 
to  meet  again  his  friend  Wieland  who  had 
recently  died;  both,  that  is,  he  Goethe  and  Wie 
land,  ensouling  some  planet  or  comet. 

"Do  you  believe  then,  that  planets  or  comets 
have  souls?"  asked  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"Why  not?  Compare  our  own  planet  the 
earth  to  the  genus  homo.  Might  not  an  ocean 
perform  the  functions  of  the  heart;  the  river 
that  of  our  arteries,  and  the  atmosphere  that 
of  our  lungs?" 

"Is  this  idea  a  part  of  the  idea  of  the  teach 
ings  of  Theosophy?" 

"We  have  no  dogmas,  and  our  views  on  life 
are  left  to  individual  members.  Of  course  re 
incarnation  and  karma  are  such  an  integral 
part  of  our  philosophy  that  without  this  belief 
a  member  would  find  him  or  herself  isolated  in 
the  Society." 

"And  where  do  you  find  that  Ruskin  remem 
bered  his  previous  life?" 

"For  some  reasons  best  known  to  himself, 
he  did  not  express  himself  openly  as  Goethe, 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  165 

but  if  you  will  investigate,  you  will  find  that  he 
signed  himself,  Christostum  to  a  few  of  his  in 
timate  friends,  and  especially  to  the  woman 
whom  he  recognized  as  his  mother  in  his  for 
mer  life." 

"That  certainly  is  news  to  me.  Where  do 
you  find  those  things?" 

"Some  in  his  Traeterita/  others  in  a  biog 
raphy  of  him.  Any  student  of  Ruskin  must 
see  that  his  mind  was  saturated  with  Greek 
thoughts  and  ideals.  At  seven  years  of  age  he 
was  familiar,  as  I  would  say,  again,  with  that 
language.  He  actually  attempted  to  write  at 
that  tender  age  an  epic  to  which  he  gave  the 
presumptuous  title  'Eudaios.' ' 

"I  think  I  also  heard  you  quote  Christ  in 
support  of  reincarnation,"  remarked  Miss  De 
Ruiz. 

"I  do  not  see  how  the  passage  I  quoted 
could  be  given  another  interpretation;  besides 
we  find  many  similar  statements  in  the  writ 
ing  of  the  early  church  fathers.  We  have,  what 
seems  to  me,  and  is  in  fact  taught  in  our  litera 
ture,  an  esoteric  as  well  as  an  exoteric  side  to 
Christianity.  The  exoteric  side  was  given  to 
the  multitude.  The  writings  of  Origen  clearly 
established  that  fact.  Christ's  statement:  'To 
you  it  is  given  to  know  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven;  to  them  I  speak  in  parables'  would 
likewise  indicate  that  the  Apostles  received 
more  than  what  could  be  given  to  the  general 
public." 

"Would  not  this  multitude  need  enlighten 
ment  even  more  than  the  select  few?"  asked 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Knowledge     which     is     above     a     person's 


1 66  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

understanding  is  worse  than  useless,  even  laws 
and  regulations  of  conduct  must  be  different 
for  different  people.  To  the  Jews,  just  coming 
out  of  slavery  the  Commandment  'Love  your 
enemies'  would  have  seemed  absurd  indeed. 
The  highest  they  were  capable  of  accepting 
was :  'Love  your  friends/  Fifteen  hundred  years 
later  they  were  fit  to  hear  'Do  good  to  them  that 
hate  you'.  Plato  in  his  Timaeus,  Goethe  in  the 
second  part  of  Faust,  spoke  only  to  what  Rus- 
kin  calls,  'The  Filii'.  The  latter  tells  us  again 
and  again  'We  cannot  stoop  down  to  you,  you 
must  raise  yourself  up  to  us/ '' 

"Do  you  believe  in  Christ?"  suddenly  askec? 
Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"I  believe  in  His  teaching,"  was  the  unhesi 
tating  reply. 

"Do  you  believe  He  was  God?"  again  asked 
Alice  De  Ruiz. 

"Yes,  but  only  in  the  sense  that  we  all  are," 
was  the  startling  reply.  "I  came  prepared  for 
that  question  also,"  she  then  continued  with  a 
smile,  and  she  took  out  of  her  green  bag  a 
small  Bible  and  pointed  to  the  verses  thirty- 
three  to  thirty-five  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  St. 
John  where  Christ,  accused  of  blasphemy  for 
calling  himself  the  Son  of  God,  said  these 
words:  'Is  it  not  written  in  your  law,  ye  are 
Gods?'  "A  friend  of  mine,"  she  continued 
"recently  told  me  that  in  an  old  Greek  Bible 
we  find  these  words:  'Ye  are  Gods'  written  in 
italics,  thus  indicating  that  a  special  signifi 
cance  was  attached  to  that  statement  of  Jesus. 
If  Jesus  had  wanted  to  claim  for  himself  a 
special  divinity;  if  he  had  wanted  to  make 
man's  salvation  depend  upon  the  acceptance  of 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  167 

a  belief  in  His  divinity,  right  here  and  then  he 
should  have  proclaimed  this  divinity  of  Him 
self,  without  even  a  possibility  of  being  mis 
understood,  but  how  shall  we  interpret  His 
answer:  'Ye  are  likewise  Gods.'  Now  I,  or 
rather  Theosophy,  does  not  consider  Christ  an 
ordinary  human  being.  We  believe  He  had 
reached  a  degree  of  perfection  far  above,  but 
not  beyond  the  reach  of  other  mortals.  We 
believe  that  he  is  still  in  the  heaven  world,  and 
influencing  for  good  the  whole  world,  and  es 
pecially  the  Christian  churches.  We  even  be 
lieve  that  he  will  return,  that  is,  will  again  as 
sume  flesh,  in  other  words  will  reincarnate  and 
will  complete  his  work,  but  the  idea  of  making 
Him  co-equal  with  God  the  Absolute,  this  very 
idea  to  us  is  unthinkable,  and  seems  absurd  to 
a  philosophically  trained  mind." 

"Do  you  not  consider  Him  the  greatest  and 
best  teacher  of  Humanity?" 

"Things  are  relative,"  was  the  answer  given 
in  a  thoughtful  voice.  "The  smaller  cannot 
fully  apprehend  or  appreciate  the  greater. 
Christ  is  rather  too  far  above  me,  for  myself 
to  express  or  measure  His  greatness.  I  only 
know  this,  that  besides  Him  there  were  other 
great  teachers,  and  I  would  never  presume  to 
pass  judgment  upon  the  respective  merits  of 
such  Masters  of  Wisdom  as  Krishna,  Zara- 
thustra,  Buddha,  LaoTze  or  Christ." 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Alice  De  Ruiz  listened 
more  and  more  amazed  to  the  bold  and  precise 
declarations  of  their  innocent  and  youthful 
looking  visitor.  A  careful  scrutiny  had  con 
vinced  Mrs.  Lawson  that  Miss  Lenz  must  be 
older  than  she  looked.  Had  that  little 


1 68  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Theosophist  discovered  that  long  sought  elixir 
of  youth?  A  new  thought  struck  her.  Why 
not  engage  her  as  a  companion?  "If  you  don't 
mind  changing  the  subject,  might  I  ask  you 
the  nature  of  your  present  occupation?" 

"Well  I  have  been  engaged  as  a  nurse  and 
have  changed  or  tried  to  change  to  a  steno 
grapher,  but  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  secur 
ing  a  permanent  or  suitable  position." 

"Are  you  employed  at  present?" 

"Only  partially." 

"Would  you  be  willing  to  accept  a  position 
as  my  private  secretary?" 

"If  you  think  that  I  can  meet  your  require 
ments." 

"I  hardly  doubt  that." 

"Well,  since  we  are  thus  far  why  not  come 
to  a  definite  agreement?" 

"What  salary  would  you  demand?" 

"Well,  I  would  be  willing  to  begin  with  $50 
a  month. 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Alice  De  Ruiz  exchanged 
a  look  of  surprise. 

"The  position  of  private  secretary  is  one  of 
great  importance  to  me.  I  would  gladly  pay 
$100  a  month  for  the  service,  and  in  spare 
time  you  can  initiate  us  further  into  the  sec 
rets  of  Theosophical  lore." 

"It  is  difficult  for  me  to  express  my  appre 
ciation  of  your  generous  offer  and  flattering 
confidence.  I  can  only  hope  that  you  will  not 
be  disappointed  in  your  expectations." 

"I  have  no  doubts  in  that  respect.  I  think 
you  are  an  exception  to  the  rule  that  people 
think  too  much  of  their  talents  and  not  enough 
of  themselves.  When  can  you  enter  your,  I 


A  TALE  OF  EAST  AND  WEST  169 

do  not  like  to  say  service,  nor  does  the  word 
duty  appeal  to  me  especially  in  this  connection. 
Can  you  help  me  out  with  a  word,  Miss  Lenz?" 

"I  see  no  objecion  to  either  word,  to  ser 
vice  or  duty,  provided  the  reciprocity  of  the 
relation  is  recognized.  If  people  in  general 
would  only  realize  their  mutual  interdepen 
dence  and  obligation,  this  world  would  be  a 
nicer  place  to  live  in." 

"All  right,  since  we  have  agreed  upon  the 
propriety  of  the  question  what  is  your 
answer?" 

"Well,  as  I  have  said  before.  I  have  at  pre 
sent  no  permanent  position,  and  I  can  com 
mence  tomorrow  evening,  or  this  evening  if 
there  is  something  special  to  do.  Your  promis 
ed  remuneration  is  so  much  beyond  my  most 
sanguine  expectation  that  late  hours  have  no 
terrors  for  me." 

"You  need  not  fear  such  a  thing  as  late 
hours  in  your  work  for  me.  If  the  remunera 
tion  seems  high  to  you  it  is  only  due  to  your 
modesty.  Your  services  I  am  sure  will  be 
worth  more  than  mere  money.  If  you  can 
commence  tomorrow  I  will  be  pleased." 

"What  time  shall  or  may  I  come?" 

"I  like  neither  your  words  shall  or  may.  Our 
relations,  Miss  Lenz,  I  hope  will  be  on  the 
footing  of  friends.  The  difference  in  worldly 
position  ought  not  to  be  a  barrier  to  friendship 
in  equals  of  mind  and  spirit." 


CHAPTER  XL 

GLIMPSES    OF   BOSTON    CULTURE 

Mrs.  Lawson  to  Morgan: 

What  do  you  think  of  reincarnation?  In  my 
mind's  eye  I  can  see  a  slight  relaxation  of  the 
usually  so  stern  features  of  my  esteemed 
friend  John  who  I  suppose  has  clothed  himself 
both  outside  and  inside  with  new  vestments  of 
dignity,  in  keeping  with  his  recently  acquired 
powers  and  responsibility.  I  will  try  to  answer 
the  question  which  I  think  I  see  coming  to 
your  lips; — How  does  she  come  to  ask  me 
about  reincarnation? 

In  obedience  to  your  advice  to  go  in  search 
of  Boston  culture  I  called  on  Mr.  Berwin  for 
information,  and  in  the  consultation  he  in 
formed  me  that  it  was  entirely  owing  to  my 
looking  in  the  wrong  direction  that  thus  far  I 
had  found  no  trace  of  the  intellectual  life  pul 
sating  in  the  Athens  of  the  new  world. 

He  explained  to  me  that  there  are  two  sides 
to  Boston,  that  heretofore  I  had  only  seen 
one,  the  seamy  side,  which  was  the  one  so 
much  below  the  one  in  most  cities  as  the 
other,  the  bright  and  shining  side,  was  above. 
In  answer  to  my  question  where  I  could  find 
that  other  side,  that  is,  the  bright  and  shining 
one,  he  referred  me  to  two  buildings  from 
which  the  ramification  of  Boston  culture  could 
be  traced,  and  I  must  admit  that  a  subsequent 
170 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          171 

visit  to  these  places  more  than  justified  Ber- 
win's  assertion.  I  doubt  whether  there  can  be 
found  anywhere  another  such  centre  of  human 
activity.  A  short  letter  will  not  suffice  to  give 
an  adequate  description  of  the  life  pulsating  in 
these  places  or  to  do  justice  to  the  efforts,  at 
least  in  ideal  endeavor,  made  on  behalf  of  hu 
man  progress  and  welfare.  I  only  wish  you 
were  here  to  help  us  out  with  your  practical 
experience.  I  say  us,  for  Alice  De  Ruiz  and 
myself  have  become  so  nearly  one  in  thought 
and  sympathy  that  what  affects  the  one  is 
shared  with  and  communicated  to  the  other. 

Alice  is  doing  some  very  serious  thinking 
about  your  mutual  friend  Norris  and  his  reli 
gious  opinions.  Without  any  specific  communi 
cation  on  that  subject  she  knows  that  I  am 
conversant  with  the  state  of  her  mind,  and  we 
will  very  soon  have  a  very  confidential  chat  of 
which  you  might  learn  the  conclusion,  but  on 
account  of  being  a  man,  and  therefore  an  out 
sider,  not  the  details.  Now  I  look  up  and  me- 
thinks  I  can  hear  you  murmur  between  your 
teeth  "just  like  a  woman,  she  can  never  stick 
to  a  subject,  from  reincarnation  to  a  disserta 
tion  on  Boston  culture  and  then  to  a  love 
affair."  Well  I'll  get  back  to  the  beginning, 
what  do  you  think  of  reincarnation?  Of  the 
many  thought  currents  flowing  from  Hunting- 
ton  Chambers,  the  most  famous  headquarte'S 
for  Boston  culture,  the  one  that  has  taken 
strongest  hold  upon  my  imagination  represents 
the  claim  that  reincarnation  is  our  chief  means 
for  mental  and  spiritual  evolution  and  the  key 
to  life  of  the  universe.  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
the  Theosophical  Society,  of  Madame  Blavat- 


172  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

sky,  of  Annie  Besant?  What  do  you  think  of 
the  people  and  their  ideas?  Now  do  not  think 
I  have  drifted  into  a  new  or  different  channel 
of  activity  and  that  I  have  given  up  my  resolu 
tion  to  devote  my  superfluous  time  and  energy 
to  the  redress  of  wrongs  and  injustices.  On 
the  contrary  I  am  interested  in  philosophical 
and  spiritual  questions  more  from  practical  pur 
poses  than  for  the  mere  satisfaction  in  solving 
abstruse  questions.  I  want  to  understand  life  in 
all  its  aspects  as  far  as  my  limited  faculties 
permit,  in  order  to  work  intelligently  and  get 
the  best  results  from  my  labor,  both  for  myself 
and  others.  Miss  De  Ruiz  sends  you  her  love 
and  highest  respects.  I  have  given  her  as  good 
a  description  of  you,  as  lay  in  my  power  of 
delineation,  but  I  fear  that  personal  predilec 
tion  made  me  partial,  for  my  friend  Alice  is 
altogether  too  enthusiastic  about  John  and 
looks  forward  with  too  much  anticipation  to  a 
personal  acquaintance. 

P.  S.  I  have  engaged  a  secretary,  the  young 
lady  who  gave  an  address  on  reincarnation  for 
the  Theosophical  Society,  the  first  evening  we 
visited  Huntington  Chambers.  She  is  a  delight 
ful  person  and  a  most  valuable  companion  to 
myself  and  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"There  is  to  be  a  lecture  this  evening  at  the 
Metaphysical  Club,  Alice;  do  you  think  we 
should  go?" 

"I  think  it  would  be  interesting,  what  do  you 
say,  Miss  Lenz?" 

"I  was  a  member  of  the  Club  once,  but 
dropped  out  for  financial  reasons.  I  know  well 
the  speaker  of  the  evening,  Miss  Winslow.  She 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  173 

is  well  read  in  metaphysics  and  you  will  meet 
a  refined  and  cultured  audience." 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  Metaphysical 
Club  in  general?" 

"Its  members  are  very  good  people,  who,  I 
think,  do  what  they  think  is  right  acording  to 
their  light." 

A  certain  hesitation  in  the  voice  of  Miss 
Lenz  indicated  that  there  was  in  her  mind  a 
something  of  which  she  semed  not  sure  enough 
herself  to  clothe  it  into  words. 

"According  to  their  light,  but  their  light  is 
not  yours,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"No  madam,   I   see  some  things  differently." 

"What  do  you  think  is  the  main  difference?" 

"Well,  their  philosophy  has  not  enough  of 
practical  application,  they  do  not  take  enough 
interest,  it  seems  to  me,  in  the  welfare  of 
others ;  of  humanity  as  a  whole." 

"Does  the  Theosophical  Society  do  that?" 
asked  Mrs.  Lawson  somewhat  surprised. 

"It  endeavors  to  do  so,"  was  the  response, 
"but  of  course  for  the  short  comings  of  indivi 
dual  members  the  Society  is  not  to  blame." 

"Can  you  tell  me  the  particular  application 
of  your  Society's  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of 
humanity?" 

"Well  our  teachings  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
Man  and  that  the  fate  of  every  human  being 
is  forever  linked  with  that  of  the  whole  of 
humanity,  should  make  the  relation  between 
man  and  man  more  friendly  and  unselfish." 

"But  is  not  this  a  good  deal  of  simple  theo 
ry?"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson.  "Is  there  an  or 
ganized  effort  made  by  your  Society  to  do 


174  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

away  with  the  wrongs  and  injustices  of  which 
this  world  is  full?" 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  in  words  the 
exression  of  surprise  upon  the  fair  and  inno 
cent  looking  face  of  Miss  Lenz.  She  seemed 
bewildered  and  at  a  loss  what  to  say,  and  final 
ly  declared:  "Why,  Madam,  you  talk  just  like 
a  socialist.  There  are  a  few  socialists  in  the 
Theosophical  Society,  who  are  always  preach 
ing  that  Brotherhood  in  theory  does  not  suffice. 
They  want  everybody  to  join  their  organiza 
tion  which  they  claim  has  for  its  object  the  es 
tablishment  of  conditions  that  would  raise 
Brotherhood  from  theory  into  practice." 

"And  what  do  you  think  of  that?"  asked 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Well,  if  I  were  a  man,  I  think  I  might  join 
the  organization,"  answered  Miss  Lenz,  "but 
their  aim  is  political  and  I  have  no  taste  and 
little  understanding  of  politics." 

"Have  the  socialists  no  women  in  their  or 
ganization?"  again  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  think  they  have,  in  fact  they  must  have, 
for  I  remember  Mr.  Heine  asked  me  several 
times  to  become  a  member." 

"Who  is  this  Mr.  Heine?" 

"He  is  a  member  of  the  T.  S.  and  also  of  the 
Socialist  party." 

"I  would  like  to  meet  him,"  declared  Mrs. 
Lawson.  "Uniting  in  one  person  a  Socialist  and 
Theosophist  indicates  at  least  a  wide  and  lib 
eral  horizon." 

"I  am  sure,"  declared  Miss  Lenz,  "Mr. 
Heine  will  be  more  than  pleased  to  meet  you, 
for  he  is  always  on  the  lookout  to  make  con 
verts  to  his  views." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          175 

The  lecture  at  the  Metaphysical  Club  proved 
to  be  quite  interesting.  The  audience  bore  the 
stamp  of  fashion  and  of  culture.  The  speaker 
of  the  evening  was  fully  conversant  with  the 
nomenclature  of  metaphysics  and  psychology. 
The  joy  and  satisfaction  derived  from  the  de 
velopment  of  the  mind  was  painted  in  the 
brightest  colors,  the  intellectual  heights  to 
which  man  should  aspire  and  the  individual 
superiority  when  attained,  were  pictured  most 
graphically  to  an  attentive  audience,  but  there 
were  no  words  of  duty  or  obligations  of  man 
to  man. 

After  the  speaker  had  finished  the  audience 
showed  their  appreciation  by  a  very  liberal 
volume  of  applause.  The  audience  then  broke 
up  in  groups  of  people,  exchanging  words  of 
greeting  and  of  recognition.  Several  persons 
remembered  Miss  Lenz  and  seemed  very  much 
pleased  to  see  her  again  in  their  midst.  "Oh, 
we  missed  you  so  much"  was  a  frequent  ex- 
clamanation.  "Where  have  you  been?" 

"You  said  you  knew  the  speaker,  Miss  Lenz. 
Will  you  give  us  an  introduction?"  asked  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

"She  is  talking  now  to  a  Mrs.  Ellis,  but  I 
will  make  her  a  sign."  This  sign  seemed  to 
to  have  its  effect,  for  Miss  Winslow  met  our 
party  half  way.  The  conventional  phrases  at 
tending  an  introduction  having  been  exchang 
ed,  Mrs.  Lawson  remarked:  "I  would  like  to 
talk  metaphysics  with  you.  Could  you  spare 
us  an  evening?" 

Miss  Winslow  looked  up  surprised.  "Would 
not  this  be  carrying  both  owls  to  Athens  and 
coals  to  Newcastle?  You  seem  to  be  a  friend 


176  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

of  Miss  Lenz  and  I  know  that  she  is  at  least  as 
well  qualified  as  myself  to  discuss  that  subject, 
and  then  we  have  a  very  voluminous  liter 
ature/'  and  she  pointed  to  a  table  covered  with 
books. 

Mrs.  Lawson  seemed  for  a  moment  at  a  loss 
what  to  say,  then  she  declared :  "It  is  not  in 
simple  metaphysics  that  I  am  interested,  but  in 
the  aim  of  your  Society  and  its  ethical  work 
ings." 

Miss  Winslow  again  looked  at  Miss  Lenz  as 
much  as  to  say,  why  do  you  want  me  when 
you  have  her? 

"Well"  said  Mrs.  Lawson  in  reply  to  this 
look.  "Miss  Lenz  is  a  Theosophist  and  she 
sees  things  from  that  standpoint,  I  and  my 
friend  Miss  Ruiz  would  like  to  look  at  the 
world  through  the  eyes  of  a  metaphysician." 

"I  think  I  understand  now.  It  will  be  a 
pleasure  to  me  to  comply  to  your  wishes.  You 
can  let  me  know  about  time  and  place  through 
Miss  Lenz." 

When  they  left  the  building  a  certain  thought 
struck  Miss  Lenz  and  caused  her  to  smile. 
"How  would  it  be  to  invite  Mr.  Heine  and 
Miss  Winslow  for  the  same  evening?  A  dis 
cussion,  or  rather  debate,  for  that  is  what  it 
will  amount  to,  between  them,  would  be  in 
structive  and  interesting." 

"Your  idea  is  a  fine  one,"  replied  Mrs.  Law- 
son.  "We  might  have  a  kind  of  a  symposium, 
in  imitation  of  one  of  Plato's  banquets.  What 
might  be  done  in  the  line  of  refreshments, 
Miss  Lenz?" 

"Mr.  Heine,!  know  does  not  agree  with  Mrs. 
Besant  in  her  condemnation  of  wine,  but  I 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  177 

hardly  think  he  would  expect  such  a  thing  at  a 
meeting  with  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz." 

"Nor  with  Miss  Lenz  either,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Lawson  smiling. 

"Oh,  he  knows  that  I  would  not  mind  or  ob 
ject  if  he  would  indulge.  He  knows  my  views. 
In  some  respects  they  are  the  same  as  his,  for 
it  is  he  from  whom  I  have  the  phrase,  quod 
prodest  jov'i,  non  prodest  bovi." 

"The  suitability  of  things,  I  suppose  de 
pends  upon  the  degree  of  the  soul's  develop 
ment,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson  with  a  slight 
touch  of  raillery. 

"To  some  extent,  yes,  but  not  altogether," 
replied  Miss  Lenz. 

She  was  about  to  continue,  but  Mrs.  Law- 
son  interposed,  saying:  "We  had  better  not 
now  indulge  in  a  discussion  of  the  soul.  I  ad 
mit  I  know  but  little  about  it,  and  for  that  rea 
son  you  see  I  am  making  all  these  efforts  to 
find  out  more." 

Alice  De  Ruiz  had  given  but  half  an  ear  to 
the  dialogue  of  her  companion.  A  strange  pre 
occupation  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of 
her.  The  world  of  things  into  which  she  caught 
glimpses  was  so  far  different  from  the  one  to 
which  she  had  always  been  accustomed  that  it 
left  her  bewildered  and  perplexed,  unwilling  to 
take  sides  or  express  her  views,  but  as  she  had 
been  one  of  the  most  attentive  listeners  at  the 
lecture  so  she  was  now  too  much  engaged  in 
her  own  thoughts  to  heed  the  dialogue  of  her 
companions. 

Her  thoughts  began  to  take  shape  but  she 
wanted  to  be  sure  of  her  ground  before  form 
ing  definite  conclusions. 


178  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"I  met  Mr.  Heine  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Theosophical  Society  last  night  and  he  says 
that  he  will  be  at  your  disposal  any  evening 
you  designate,"  said  Miss  Lenz  after  Mrs. 
Lawson  had  finished  dictating  her  answers  to 
the  morning's  mail.  "And,"  she  continued  with 
a  slight  shade  of  embarrassment  and  a  little 
hesitating  in  her  voice,  "I  think  Mr.  Heine  is 
fighting  a  hard  uphill  battle  in  his  line  of 
work  and  a  financial  compensation  for  his  time 
would  not  mean  anything  to  you,  but  might  a 
good  deal  to  him." 

"Did  he  give  any  hint  as  to  the  amount?" 

"Oh  no,  and  I  don't  think  he  expects  any 
thing." 

"What  is  his  profession?" 

"He  teaches  languages  and  writes  for  papers 
and  magazines,  but  I  heard  him  complain  some 
time  ago  that  progresive  papers  and  maga 
zines  are  too  short  of  funds  to  pay  contribu 
tors  and  that  other  publications  would  force 
the  writer  to  prostitute  his  intellect." 

"I  will  leave  this  matter  with  you.  I  am 
willing  to  be  generous  and  leave  the  degree  of 
generosity  to  yourself." 

"Thank  you,  I  will  discuss  it  with  Mr. 
Heine.  We  understand  each  other,  and  neither 
would  hesitate  to  encroach  upon  what  the 
world  calls  personal  affairs." 

"Oh,  I  nearly  forgot,"  she  then  continued, 
"Mr.  Heine  told  me  that  there  will  be  a  debate 
between  a  man  named  Hugo,  the  president  of 
the  Employers'  Association  of  Massachusetts* 
and  a  Mr.  Carey,  the  socialist  State  secretary. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          179 

Mr.  Heine  thought  the  affair  might  interest 
you." 

"Where  and  when  will  the  debate  take 
place?" 

"Tomorrow  evening  at  Fanueil  Hall." 

"All  right,  you  get  the  tickets." 

"I  think  admission  will  be  free,  but  of 
course  they  will  take  up  a  collection  of  some 
kind.  The  Socialists'  treasury,  that  much  I 
know  of  their  Society,  is  in  a  chronic  state  of 
consumption." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  DEBATE  AT  FANEUIL   HALL 

Fanueil  Hall.  The  word  seemed  familiar 
both  to  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz,  and 
after  some  efforts  to  refresh  their  minds,  Miss 
De  Ruiz  remembered  having  seen  the  word  in 
one  of  her  school  books  on  American  History, 
and  to  her  mind  came  the  phrase  "Cradle  of 
Liberty,"  which  the  patriotic  author  had  be 
stowed  upon  its  historic  walls. 

About  half  past  seven  the  three  ladies 
emerged  from  the  portals  of  their  hotel. 

"Miss  Lenz,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson  "you 
must  be  the  leader  and  take  us  to  our  destina 
tion." 

"I  am  not  sure  myself.  I  was  there  but  once 
and  forgot  its  exact  location,  but  I  know  it  is 
somewhere  just  off  Washington  Street.  We  can 
ask  the  conductor  on  the  car." 

When  Miss  Lenz  thought  they  had  gone 
about  far  enough  she  asked  the  conductor  at 
what  street  they  should  get  off  to  get  to  Fan- 
euil  Hall.  "Faneuil  Hall,"  the  conductor  look 
ed  puzzled.  A  fellow  passenger  here  volun 
teered  the  information  that  the  nearest  place  to 
get  off  was  Adams  Square. 

"Well,"  said  her  informant  in  a  low  voice, 
"any  man  born  in  Boston  would,  but  the 
elevated  prefers  to  employ  men  from  the  coun- 
180 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  181 

try.  They  are  more  easily  managed  and  work 
cheaper." 

"Another  lesson  in  political  economy/'  re 
marked  Mrs.  Lawson  to  Alice  De  Ruiz. 

The  sight  of  Faneuil  Hall  building  was  quite 
a  disappointment,  the  structure  seemed  dilap 
idated,  its  surroundings  were  wretched,  and  a 
disagreeable  odor  permeated  the  air. 

"Not  a  very  inviting  place,"  remarked  Alice 
De  Ruiz. 

"This  square  is  a  market  place,  as  is  likewise 
the  lower  part  of  Faneuil  Hall,"  explained 
Miss  ^.enz. 

"How  the  mighty  have  fallen!  The  famous 
cradle  of  liberty  has  sunk  down  to  a  place  for 
fish  mongers  to  sell  their  wares,"  mused  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

"The  inside  is  not  bad,"  remarked  Miss 
Lenz.  "The  city  owns  the  building." 

Although  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Alice  De  Ruiz 
had  endeavored  to  make  their  street  attire  as 
little  conspicuous  as  possible,  yet  the  appear 
ance  of  the  three  ladies  created  quite  a  stir.  A 
certain  indefinable  and  unconscious  aristocracy 
could  not  help  cause  a  surprise  in  the  socialistic 
assembly. 

The  debate  proved  quite  interesting.  The 
presiding  officer,  a  man  named  Coleman,  open 
ed  the  meeting  with  some  pleasant  remarks 
and  then  introduced  the  first  speaker,  Mr. 
Hugo.  This  gentleman,  in  the  thirty  minutes 
allotted  to  him,  said  many  things,  the  meaning 
of  which  seemed  obscure,  but  he  emphasized 
particularly  four  points :  that  he  was  an  indi 
vidualist,  that  he  acknowledged  no  master,  ex 
cept  the  law,  and  that  the  red  devil  of  socialism 


1 82  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

only  recognized  the  value  of  physical  labor  and 
left  out  of  consideration  the  value  of  intelli 
gence  furnished  by  capital,  and  that  this  intel 
ligence  furnished  to  such  an  extent  the  produc 
tivity  of  labor  that  manual  labor  received 
more  than  its  rightful  share  and  capital  less. 
His  third  point  was  that  the  labor  unions,  who 
he  claimed  were  "the  kite  to  the  socialist  dra 
gon"  were  lawless,  vicious  and  tyranical  and  a 
continuous  threat  to  industrial  activity  and  the 
American  ideal  of  liberty.  His  fourth  point 
was:  that  he  believed  in  the  Brotherhood  of 
Man  and  that  Socialism  was  a  menace  ^  to  the 
realization  of  this,  his  ideal. 

James  F.  Carey,  the  socialist  champion,  was 
then  given  the  floor.  He  claimed  that  his  an 
tagonist  had  indulged  in  mere  idle  phrase 
ology  and  had  utterly  failed  even  to  assail  the 
socialist  position. 

Mr.  Hugo  incidentally  had  referred  to 
"fifty-seven"  different  varieties  of  socialism, 
and  it  was  this  remark  into  which  Mr.  Carey 
fastened  his  teeth  as  the  first  point.  He  declar 
ed  that  while  socialists  may  be  different  on  tac 
tics  and  on  minor  questions,  upon  one  point, 
and  that  the  only  essential  one,  they  were  in 
perfect  accord:  the  abolition  of  wage  slavery, 
which  meant  the  abolition  of  capitalism.  He 
denied  that  labor  unions  were  a  kite  to  the  dra 
gon  of  socialism;  he  declared  that  Gompers  the 
President  of  the  American  Federation  of  labor 
had  in  this  very  hall  assailed  socialism  even 
more  bitterly  than  Mr.  Hugo.  He  further  de 
nied  the  socialists'  responsibility  for  the  acts  of 
the  American  Labor  Unions,  but  nevertheless, 
he  entered  a  strong  plea  on  behalf  of  these 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          183 

unions,  claiming  that  any  unlawful  acts  by 
them  were  done  in  self  defense  and  that  with 
out  the  activity  of  labor  unions  the  condition 
of  the  laborer  would  be  even  worse  than  it  is 
at  present.  He  then  depicted  in  vivid  colors 
the  dependence  and  enslavement  of  the  worker 
by  the  capitalist  through  the  latter's  possession 
of  the  tools  of  production.  He  claimed  that 
capitalists  had  obtained  possession  of  the  coun 
try's  wealth  not  through  any  intrinsic  merit, 
but  often  through  force,  cunning  and  fraud 
and  sometimes  through  the  corrupt  manipu 
lation  of  our  legislative  machinery.  He  assert 
ed  that  the  working  class,  under  the  present 
system  is  denied  that  individuality  and  free 
dom  so  ardently  desired  by  Mr.  Hugo.  He  then 
gave  a  vivid  picture  of  the  misery  of  the  unem 
ployed,  and  further  maintained  that  the  re 
ward  of  labor  was  not  based  upon  the  degree 
of  productivity,  but  upon  the  intensity  of  the 
struggle  for  jobs.  He  denied  that  capital  fur 
nished  the  intelligence  necessary  to  carry  on 
production  and  ridiculed  the  claim  that  the 
capitalist's  remuneration  is  based  upon  his  de 
gree  of  intelligence.  He  asked  the  audience  to 
make  a  comparison  between  the  brain  of  Rock 
efeller  with  his  sixty  million  dollars'  income 
and  the  brain  of  Mr.  Hugo,  with  about  five 
thousand  or  ten  thousand  dollars'  income.  He 
then  cited  Rockfeller's  own  statement  that  he 
had  absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  the  manage 
ment  of  the  Standard  Oil  for  over  ten  years. 

Mr.  Hugo  in  his  next  turn  returned  to  his 
adversary's  compliment  of  having  indulged  in 
mere  idle  phraseology.  He  claimed  that  Mr. 
Carey  had  given  nothing  but  words  and  failed 


184  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  reply  to  the  points  made  in  his  argument, 
that  he  had  only  dealt  in  glittering  generalities 
familiar  to  every  child.  He  claimed  that  in 
stead  of  laborers  being  enslaved  by  the  capital 
ist  the  very  opposite  was  true,  that  the  capitalist 
was  lorded  over  by  the  labor  union  and  touch 
ing  upon  the  socialist  commiseration  of  the  un 
employed  he  asked  why  if  labor  created  every 
thing  it  did  not  create  work  for  itself.  He  then 
dilated  once  more  upon  the  sins  of  labor  unions 
during  strikes  and  tried  to  make  the  socialists 
responsible  for  them.  He  asked  his  adversary 
how  socialism  was  to  provide  work  and  suit 
able  reward,  he  maintained  that  children  of 
capitalists  had  a  perfect  right  to  the  inherit 
ance  of  shops,  mills,  and  railroads  because  the 
family  was  the  natural  unit  of  the  state. 

He  then  recited  a  long  list  of  twenty  prob 
lems  for  socialists  to  solve  and  his  adversary  to 
explain. 

The  socialist  champion  then  rose  once  more 
and  again  claimed  that  his  predecessor  had 
given  him  no  task  to  perform  as  he  had  utterly 
failed  to  furnish  any  material  for  rebuttal.  He 
declared  that  the  twenty  problems  recited  by 
Hugo  would  have  to  be  solved  when  the  time 
for  solution  had  arrived,  that  no  one  could 
have  ordained  a  hundred  years  ago  how  ques 
tions  of  today  were  to  be  settled  or  arranged  in 
our  legislative  halls.  He  claimed  that  confisca 
tion  was  perfectly  just  under  certain  circum 
stances  and  he  cited  the  abolition  of  property 
in  slaves  as  a  note-worthy  example.  He  declared 
that  a  champion  of  capitalism  should  show  first 
that  under  its  regime  conditions  were  just  be 
fore  he  started  to  attack  socialism  for  the  kind 


GEORGE   B.    HUGO 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  185 

of  justice  it  might  inaugurate.  He  dwelt  upon 
the  right  of  eminent  domain ;  a  weapon  of  cap 
italistic  government,  when  it  suited  its  conven 
ience,  and  he  declared  that  with  this  weapon 
confiscation  of  property  could  be  affected  in  a 
perfectly  legal  manner. 

Mr.  Hugo  in  his  closing  remarks  charged 
his  opponent  with  having  dodged  his  questions 
on  account  of  inability  to  answer  them.  He  de 
clared  that  only  such  men  were  socialists  who 
despaired  of  success  under  capitalism,  and  that 
capitalists  would  never  peaceably  submit  to 
any  kind  of  scheme  of  confiscation. 

On  their  way  out  of  the  building  Miss  Lenz 
called  her  companions'  attention  to  a  man  en 
gaged  in  what  seemed  a  very  animated  discus 
sion  with  a  group  of  men  that  surrounded  him. 
"Here  is  Mr.  Heine,  shall  I  make  him  a  sign  to 
follow?" 

The  answer  was  in  the  affirmative,  and  Miss 
Lenz  did  not  seem  to  have  any  difficulty  in  es 
tablishing  an  ocular  means  of  communication, 
for  when  they  reached  Washington  Street  Mr. 
Heine  stood  at  the  corner  waiting  for  the  ladies. 

After  Miss  Lenz  had  introduced  her  friends, 
Mrs.  Lawson  suggested  their  hiring  an  auto 
and  asked  Mr.  Heine  to  accompany  them  to  the 
hotel.  "We  can  talk  better  there/'  she  remark 
ed.  "I  hope,  Mr.  Heine,"  she  then  continued, 
"you  do  not  object  to  this  aristocratic  method 
of  locomotion." 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  Mr.  Heine  smilingly. 
"My  own  objection  is  the  limitation  of  this  ex 
cellent  method  to  a  few  favored  individuals." 

\Vhen  they  were  seated  in  their  comfortable 
automobile,  Mrs.  Lawson  asked  Mr.  Heine 


1 86  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

how  he  enjoyed  the  debate.  To  her  surprise 
that  gentleman  was  not  satisfied.  She  had  gain 
ed  the  impression  that  the  socialist  champion 
had  had  by  far  the  best  of  the  argument. 

"Carey  failed  to  corner  his  man,  he  should 
have  hanged  Mr.  Hugo  with  his  own  ropes.  He 
should  have  shown  up  better  present  liberty 
and  individualism  under  capitalism,  and  he 
should  have  demonstrated  that  Mr.  Hugo's 
professed  aim,  the  promotion  of  brotherhood 
and  freedom,  could  only  be  realized  under  the 
regime  of  socialism." 

"Do  you  think  you  could  have  better  done  it 
than  Mr.  Carey?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"No,  Madam,"  answered  Mr.  Heine.  "My 
Irish  brogue  would  have  been  too  strong  a 
handicap." 

"Irish  brogue,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Lawson, 
giving  him  a  surprised  look. 

"Mr.  Heine  is  fooling,"  interposed  here  Miss 
Lenz.  "He  says  Irish  brogue  when  he  means 
German  accent." 

"Changing  the  subject,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Lawson,  "Miss  Lenz  informed  me  that  you 
were  willing  to  give  us  an  evening  for  a  discus 
sion  on  Socialism,  Theosophy  and  Meta 
physics." 

"Why  not  enlarge  the  circle  for  our  sympos 
ium  still  further,"  remarked  Mr.  Heine.  "Miss 
Lenz  spoke  to  me  of  Miss  Winslow  as  the 
chosen  champion  for  Metaphysics  and  for  me 
to  take  Theosophy  and  Socialism.  Why  not 
have  a  representative  of  Capitalism  and  Anar 
chism  also  present?  This  might  require  more 
than  one  evening,  but  our  symposium  would  be 
more  complete  and  conclusive." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          187 

"Will  you.  asume  the  task  of  supplying  the  re 
spective  champions?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  would  be  willing,"  replied  Mr.  Heine  com 
placently.  "I  think  Mr.  Hugo,  the  champion 
of  capitalism  this  evening,  would  be  a  suitable 
candidate  and  would  accept  an  invitation.  I 
like  the  fellow  for  his  pluck,  and  I  think  he  is 
personally  honest  and  a  gentleman." 

"But  what  about  the  champion  for  an 
archism?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  know  a  good  one,"  declared  Heine  with  a 
smile. 

"Please  don't  take  one  too  rabid  and  vul 
gar,"  interposed  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

Mr.  Heine  gave  this  young  lady  a  quick  and 
searching  glance.  A  look  of  surprise  came  into 
his  eyes  as  if  he  had  seen  something  out  of  the 
ordinary  that  puzzled  this  shrewd  and  quick 
observer. 

"Oh  do  not  fear,  I  will  bring  one  whose 
words  and  manner  will  not  be  offensive,"  he 
declared. 

After  reaching  the  hotel  Mrs.  Lawson  invit 
ed  Mr.  Heine  to  participate  in  some  refresh 
ments  in  their  room,  but  this  gentleman  declin 
ed,  saying  that  he  had  promised  to  meet  some 
friends  in  the  Turnhall. 

"A  Theosophist  drinking  beer!"  remarked 
Miss  Lenz  not  without  a  slight  tinge  of  re 
proach. 

"It  is  not  use,  but  abuse  in  which  the 
wrong  exists." 

"Quod  prodest  jovi  non  prodest  bovi,"  here 
put  in  Miss  De  Ruiz  looking  with  a  mischiev 
ous  eye  at  Mr.  Heine  and  then  at  Miss  Lenz. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  expres- 


1 88  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

sion  on  the  face  of  Mr.  Heine  when  he  heard 
this  familiar  phrase  from  the  lips  of  the  beau 
tiful  stranger  who  looked  at  him  with  half 
mocking,  yet  kindly  eyes.  He  looked  at  Miss 
Lenz  who  had  become  slightly  flushed;  but 
her  features  soon  assumed  their  usual  seren 
ity.  A  flash  of  intelligence  then  came  into  the 
thoughtful  and  penetrating  eye  of  Mr.  Heine; 
a  smile  nearly  of  contentment  came  to  his  lips 
and  with  a  deferential  bow  he  took  his  depar 
ture. 

The  final  arrangements  for  the  symposium 
were  made  by  Mr.  Heine  in  conjunction  with 
Miss  Lenz,  to  whom  Mrs.  Lawson  had  given 
plenipotentiary  powers.  Mr.  Hugo  had  accept 
ed  the  defense  of  capitalism.  Mr.  Swift,  a  rec 
ognized  leader  of  anarchy,  was  to  champion 
that  faith.  Miss  Winslow  was  to  represent 
Metaphysics  and  Mr.  Heine  Theosophical 
Socialism. 

The  four  champions  and  Miss  Ruiz  held  a 
meeting  to  arrange  the  program  or  method  of 
procedure.  Mr.  Heine  made  the  proposition 
that  they  ought  to  start  from  a  definite  stand 
point  upon  which  they  were  in  accord,  and 
then  defend  their  respective  positions.  "I  was 
particularly  struck,"  he  declared  "by  Mr. 
Hugo's  emphasis  in  his  debate  with  Carey  up 
on  his  predilection  for  liberty  and  brotherhood. 
Now  I  suppose  all  of  us  here  agree  with  this 
position.  The  desirability  of  these  two  things 
is  deeply  impressed  upon  every  heart  in  which 
is  not  yet  dead  the  spark  which  cometh  from 
above.  The  difference  among  us  here  is  only 
concerning  the  best  road  that  would  lead  us 
most  quickly  to  the  goal.  I  propose  therefore, 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  189 

that  the  champions  of  the  various  systems  en 
deavor  to  establish  their  claim  to  the  possession 
of  the  best  road;  the  scope  of  our  symposium 
may  be  enlarged  later." 

All  eyes  were  turned  towards  Mr.  Hugo. 
The  anarchist  smiled  and  sent  a  nod  of  approval 
to  Mr.  Heine,  as  much  as  to  say,  "You  have 
caught  him  in  a  trap,"  but  this  gentleman  gave 
them  a  surprise.  "You  all  look  at  me,"  he  re 
marked,  "as  if  you  were  expecting  from  me 
some  opposition  to  this  proposition  of  our 
friend  Heine.  I  wish  to  declare,  here  and  now, 
that  I  am  not  only  willing  to  accept  this  pro 
position  as  the  basis  of  our  symposium,  but 
if  you  will  succeed  in  showing  that  capitalism 
is  incompatible  with  liberty  and  brotherhood,  or 
if  you  can  demonstrate  that  you  have  a  shorter 
or  better  road  towards  this  goal,  I  most  will 
ingly  will  change  my  route  and  will  feel  grate 
ful  towards  my  teachers." 

"I  am  more  than  pleased  with  Mr.  Hugo's 
declaration,"  remarked  Mr.  Heina,  "and  I  had 
expected  it.  I  think  Mr.  Hugo  is  a  living  ar 
gument  in  favor  of  my  contention  with  my 
friend  Swift  that  a  sincere  and  intelligent  man 
might  be  a  defender  of  capitalism.  I  wish  to 
add  this  to  my  proposition,  that  we  spend  the 
first  evening  in  a  discussion  of  the  thesis :  Is 
capitalism  compatible  with  liberty  and  brother 
hood,  and  I  would  advise  that  the  two  princi 
pal  disputants  be  Mr.  Hugo  in  the  affirmative 
and  Mr.  Swift  in  the  negative." 

This  idea  seemed  a  good  one  to  all  and  was 
accepted.  Somebody  then  moved  to  adjourn, 
but  Miss  Lenz  asked  for  the  floor.  "I  just  wish 
to  say  a  few  words,"  she  remarked,  "which 


190  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

might  seem  unnecessary,  but  which  I  think 
ought  to  be  said.  I  want  to  make  an  appeal  to 
the  respective  champions  to  guard  themselves 
against  indulgence  in  personalities  or  the  use 
of  too  strong  language.  This  symposium  will 
take  place  in  the  presence  of  two  ladies,  one  of 
whom  is  very  young  and  sensitive.  They  are 
both  millionairesses  and  are  seeking  light  for 
their  guidance  in  life.  I  believe  if  you  can  show 
that  individual  possession  of  millions  is  an  in 
jury  to  human  progress  they  would  divest 
themselves  of  their  riches,  or  they  would  use 
their  millions  to  advance  the  causes  that  best 
promote  human  welfare.  Let  us  fight  for  prin 
ciples  and  let  your  conduct  in  this  debate  be  a 
measure  of  our  appreciation  of  brotherhood 
and  liberty." 

"Oh  I  see,"  remarked  the  champion  of  anar 
chy,  "Miss  Lenz  thinks  that  the  ears  of  the 
millionaire  ladies  need  some  special  precau 
tion." 

"I  fear  nothing,"  answered  this  astute  young 
lady,  "but  I  wish  to  make  this  symposium  a 
means  of  instruction  and  a  scene  of  pleasant 
remembrances." 

"Your  wish  is  shared  by  all  of  us,"  here  re 
plied  Mr.  Swift,  in  a  tone  more  conciliatory 
than  was  his  habit,  "and  the  hope  held  out  that 
the  millions  of  our  patronesses  might  possibly 
be  used  to  advance  the  cause  of  anarchy  will 
act  as  a  special  spur  to  be  lenlor  oratione  et  fir- 
mior  rebus." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    FIRST    EVENING    OF    THE    SYMPOSIUM 

An  elegantly  furnished  parlor  of  the  most 
fashionable  hotel  in  Boston  served  as  the  arena 
for  a  symposium  such  as  was  never  before 
held,  in  this  or  any  other  city.  Choice  refresh 
ments  were  within  easy  reach.  The  hostess 
had  shown  her  power  of  discrimination  in  the 
selection  of  a  few  bottles  of  wine  supplied  by 
the  estabishment  of  Mr.  Hugo,  who  besides 
being  the  president  of  the  Employers'  Associa 
tion  of  Massachusetts,  was  also  the  owner  of  a 
wholesale  liquor  establishment;  while  fancy 
ices  and  cakes  proved  a  successful  temptation 
to  the  immaterial  mind  of  Alma  Lenz. 

After  a  cordial  greeting  the  champions  took 
their  seats  and  Mr.  Hugo  was  given  thirty 
minutes  for  the  demonstration  that  capitalists 
offered  the  best  basis  for  brotherhood  and  lib 
erty.  Mr.  Hugo  spoke  as  follows : 

"The  subject  for  this  evening's  discussion 
is:  Is  Capitalism  compatible  with  Brotherhood 
and  Liberty? 

"The  proposition  to  open  our  symposium 
with  this  thesis  came  from  Mr.  Heine  and  I 
have  an  idea  that  he,  together  with  others, 
thinks  that  he  has  placd  me  in  the  weakest  fort 
of  capitalism,  and  that  my  opponent  this  even 
ing  will  gain  an  easy  victory.  But  I  differ  from 


192  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Mr.  Heine,  or  anyone  else,  about  the  strength 
of  this  fort,  and  I  will  reiterate  what  I  said  be 
fore,  that  with  the  fall  of  this  citadel  I  will 
surrender  the  fortress  and  the  city  (of  capital 
ism)  and  unite  my  forces  with  those  of  the 
enemy. 

"I  will  try  to  show  this  evening  not  only 
that  capitalism  is  compatible  with  Brotherhood 
and  Liberty,  but  that  it  offers  the  only  means 
for  the  realization  of  these  ideals.  It  must  be 
borne  in  mind,  however,  that  I  claim  for  cap 
ital  the  possession  of  the  road  that  will  lead  to 
the  goal  and  not  that  this  goal  has  already 
been  reached,  or  that  absolute  Brotherhood  and 
Liberty  prevails  today.  I  am  aware  as  much 
as  anyone  can  possiby  be  of  the  many  evils 
with  which  society  is  afflicted  today  and  I  yield 
precedence  to  none  in  the  regret  for  these  evils, 
nor  in  zeal  to  apply  the  remedy. 

"For  the  sake  of  argument  I  will  admit  that 
capitalism  rules  today,  although  I  maintain  that 
its  rule  is  far  from  absolute  and  that  through 
this  lack  of  complete  control  and  not  on  ac 
count  of  the  control  actually  secured  exist  the 
evils  from  which  we  suffer  at  present.  I  wish 
to  repeat  what  I  have  said:  No  one  deplores 
more  the  evils  which  will  be  pointed  out  by 
those  who  will  follow  in  this  symposium,  but 
these  evils  which  I  and  fellow  capitalists  do 
our  utmost  to  mitigate  exist  not  on  account  of 
capitalism  but  in  spite  of  it.  They  spring  from 
a  still  undeveloped  nature  of  humanity  and 
will  disappear  with  the  progress  of  the  race. 
Some  people  only  see  the  unfavorable  side  of 
things  and  allow  their  minds  to  dwell  perpet 
ually  on  seeming  flaws  and  shortcomings,  and 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  193 

have  no  eye  for  the  magnificent  scenes,  for  the 
most  inspiring  achievements. 

"How  far  back  is  the  proclaimed  rule  of 
capitalism  supposed  to  extend?  Some  socialis 
tic  writers,  I  know,  claim  the  French  Revolu 
tion  as  the  beginning  of  its  reign.  Let  us  ac 
cept  their  claim,  then  we  have  about  one  hun 
dred  years'  reign  of  the  new  regime.  Now  look 
what  has  been  achieved  in  these  one  hundred 
years.  Open  your  eyes  and  examine  the  world 
as  it  was  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
What  do  you  see?  Occasional  famines  that 
destroyed  sometimes  one  half  of  a  country's 
population  and  the  perpetual  danger  of  famine 
that  caused  life  to  be  spent  in  fear  and  appre 
hension.  You  occasionally  hear  the  word  fam 
ine  in  our  days,  but  only  in  such  countries  as 
India  or  Russia.  And  why,  is  it  not  because 
capitalism  has  not  yet  obtained  mastery  in  In 
dia,  or  has  had  not  sufficient  time  to  establish 
itself  in  Russia?  Look  at  man's  life  one  hun 
dred  years  ago !  Behold  the  serf,  his  wife  and 
children,  leaving  their  hut  at  sunrise  equipped 
with  a  sickle  or  scythe,  and  returning  at  sunset 
weary  and  exhausted.  The  background  from 
Millet's  famous  picture  was  only  possible  be 
fore  capitalism  has  showered  its  blessings  upon 
humanity.  Look  at  the  shoemaker,  the  tailor 
bent  over  his  bench,  or  crouching  on  the 
floor,  in  tedious  work  that  barely  supplied  the 
necessities  of  life.  Look  at  the  stage  coach 
slowly  wending  its  way  through  the  valley 
and  still  more  slowly  over  the  mountains.  Look 
at  the  sailing  vessel  tossed  by  the  sea  in  a  sixty 
day  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  Look  at  the 
intellectual  status  of  humanity.  Not  ten  per 


194  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

cent  of  the  human  family  able  to  read  or  write, 
the  struggle  for  the  necessities  of  life  not 
leaving  any  time  to  develop  the  mind.  There 
are  many  other  pictures,  such  as  the  baron  and 
the  serf,  the  torture  and  the  rack  to  which  I 
might  call  your  attention,  but  I  will  not  weary 
your  eyes  with  any  more  unpleasant  scenes. 

"Now  look  at  another  scene,  the  scene  fur 
nished,  yes  created,  by  capitalism,  or  rather  the 
genius  of  the  capitalist,  for  capital  is  an  inani 
mate  thing,  it  is  dead  and  it  requires  the  intel 
lect,  the  soul  of  man  to  make  it  produce  its 
wonders  just  as  the  paint  and  the  brush  are 
valueless  without  the  artist. 

"Behold  the  farmer,  a  strong  or  weak  man, 
or  if  need  be,  a  woman,  with  a  machine  drawn 
with  horses  or  operated  with  steam,  accom 
plishing  single-handed,  without  exertion,  much 
more  than  the  serf's  entire  family  could  have 
done  a  hundred  years  ago  with  the  most  intense 
and  exhausting  labor.  Look  at  the  shoemaker 
or  the  tailor  working  at  his  machine  and  doing 
in  hours  what  in  times  of  yore  took  days.  Look 
at  our  floating  palaces  crossing  the  Atlantic  in 
four  days,  while  the  passengers  spend  the  voy 
age  in  gay  festivities  and  comfort.  Look  at  the 
Pullman  cars  drawn  by  steam  or  electricity 
speeding  over  valley  and  mountain  through  the 
forest  and  desert.  Look  at  the  tiny  wires  that 
gird  the  planet  and  bring  the  news  of  the  anti 
podes  in  the  fraction  of  a  second.  Look  at  the 
spark  freed  from  the  wire  bringing  aid  to  a 
vessel  in  danger  of  shipwreck,  guiding  the 
general  and  his  soldiers,  or  bringing  informa 
tion,  valuable  for  commercial  transactions. 
Look  at  the  abundance  of  everything  gladden- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  195 

ing  the  hearts  of  men.  Can  you  or  anyone 
even  imagine  in  our  time  the  possibility  of  a 
famine  such  as  only  sixty  years  ago  reduced 
the  population  of  Ireland  from  eight  to  four 
million  in  the  space  of  a  few  years.  Look  at 
our  schools,  our  universities,  at  our  hospitals, 
our  charitable  institutions;  at  the  progress 
made  by  science  in  all  fields  of  human  endea 
vor. 

"But  my  opponent  will  say  that  suffering 
still  exists,  that  even  want  and  fear  of  want  for 
the  individual  is  not  yet  abolished.  I  admit 
this,  but  I  claim  this  is  not  the  fault  of  capital 
ism  which  supplies  abundance,  but  the  fault  of 
individuals  who  are  unwilling  or  incapable  to 
take  advantage  of  their  opportunities.  I  de 
clare  that  the  number  of  these  individuals  is  be 
ing  constantly  reduced,  as  the  blessings  of  cap 
italism  widen  their  circle;  that  through  educa 
tion  and  culture  fostered  by  capitalism  men 
will  recognize  more  and  more  their  mutual  ob 
ligation  and  interdependence,  and  thus  there 
will  be  developed  that  spirit  of  good  will  that 
will  bring  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  true  Liberty 
and  Brotherhood,  if  only  the  agitators,  the 
fault  finders,  such  as  labor  agitators,  walking 
delegates,  socialists  and  anarchists,  would  cease 
to  create  strife  and  discord  and  thus  hamper 
capitalism  in  its  beneficent  work. 

"Capitalism  furnishes  to  every  man  the 
largest  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  genius  in 
every  field  of  endeavor,  and  only  through  such 
a  liberty  was  it  possible  to  develop  the  genius 
of  a  Stevenson,  of  an  Edison,  of  a  Marconi, 
and  without  this  liber'y  steam  and  electricity, 
the  wireless,  the  airship  and  the  aeroplane 


196  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

could  never  have  been  put  into  the  service  of 
man.  This  last  century  has  been  truly  called  the 
wonderful  century.  The  progress  made  under 
capitalism  in  the  last  hundred  years  has  been 
far  greater  than  what  was  done  in  the  four 
thousand  years  preceding  under  any  other  re 
gime  or  method  of  production.  It  is  a  known 
fact  that  up  to  a  hundred  years  ago  the  activi 
ties  of  man  were  confined  to  the  same  narrow 
limits  as  at  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs.  Could  you 
suggest,  could  you  even  imagine  anything  that 
could  have  produced  such  results  as  we  see  to 
day,  and  if  these  things  have  been  accomplished 
in  the  past  what  cannot  be  expected  in  the  fu 
ture  with  the  steady  advance  of  science  under 
the  direction  of  the  chosen  champions  of  the 
race,  the  capitalists;  and  I  close  as  I  have  be 
gun:  Liberty  and  Brotherhood  have  no  better 
supporters  or  safer  guides  than  those  who  have 
carried  the  banner  of  progress  in  the  hundred 
years  that  have  expired." 

Our  small  audience  had  been  listening  with 
close  attention  to  the  eloquent  plea  of  the 
champion  of  capitalism.  AH  were  deeply  im 
pressed  by  his  sincerity  and  his  belief  in  the 
justice  of  his  cause. 

Mr.  Swift  the  champion  of  anarchy  now 
arose,  armed  with  copious  notes  taken  from  the 
speech  of  Hugo.  His  usually  so  impassive  face 
was  slightly  flushed;  as  he  stood  there  this  lead 
er  of  the  unemployed,  former  chief  lieutenant 
in  Cox's  famous,  or  as  some  would  have  it  in 
famous  army,  and  at  present  the  recognized 
leader  of  the  unemployed  in  Boston,  this  cham 
pion  of  anarchy,  dressed  in  the  cheapest  mat 
erial,  presented  by  no  means  an  imposing 


MORRISON    I.    SWIFT 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  197 

figure  and  hardly  would  cause  anyone  to  sus 
pect  the  scholar,  the  graduate  of  European 
Universities;  to  a  careful  observer  and  judge 
of  human  nature,  there  were  visible  a  few  soft 
lines  indicating  vacillation  in  critical  moments, 
a  lack  of  endurance,  coupled  with  the  love  of 
the  limelight;  and  to  a  phrenologist  the  fore 
head  indicated  a  slight  deficiency  for  logical 
deduction  and  the  supremacy  of  the  heart  over 
the  head.  The  speech  of  the  champion  of  an 
archy  may  be  summarized  as  follows : 

"Before  I  begin  with  my  own  line  of  argu 
ment  I  wish  to  say  a  few  words  in  appreciation 
of  the  able  exposition  in  defense  of  capitalism 
by  Mr.  Hugo,  and  I  suppose  he  will  be  sur 
prised  to  hear  that  I  agree  with  the  greater 
part  of  what  he  has  said.  The  glorious  achieve 
ments  of  humanity  under  capitalism  in  mater 
ial,  or  rather  mechanical  progress,  will  forever 
entitle  capitalism  to  the  gratitude  of  future 
generations.  But  I  stand  here  not  to  sing  its 
praises  but  to  point  out  the  shortcomings  of 
capitalism.  In  a  conversation  which  I  had  some 
time  ago  with  my  friend  Heine,  the  champion 
of  socialism,  I  maintained  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  for  an  intelligent  and  sincere  man  to  es 
pouse  the  cause  of  capitalism  against  the  cause 
of  anarchy,  but  I  think  I  have  to  revise  my 
judgment;  I  had  underestimated  man's  ingen 
uity  with  which  he  adjusts  his  conscience  to 
his  interest. 

"When  I  say  that  I  am  in  accord  with  most 
of  the  statements  made  by  Mr.  Hugo  I  wish  to 
say  that  the  champion  of  capitalism  has  pre 
sented  to  us  a  beautiful  picture,  whose  main 
outlines  are  true,  but  that  he  has  shown  us  only 


198  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

one  side  of  the  picture,  and  as  Mr.  Hugo  has 
asked  us  to  open  our  eyes  to  look  at  that  side 
of  the  picture  presented  by  him,  I  in  turn  make 
the  same  demand  upon  him,  and  ask  you  to 
contemplate  the  other  side. 

"In  the  beginning  of  his  discourse  Mr.  Hugo 
greatly  deplored  the  fact  that  some  people  only 
see  one  side  of  things,  the  unfavorable  one,  and 
I  have  a  similar  or  rather  an  opposite  complaint 
to  make,  that  some  men  only  see  the  favorable 
side  of  things,  the  side  which  seems  to  accord 
with  their  wishes  and  their  interests ;  for  I 
think  I  will  convince  even  him  that  there  is  an 
other  side  of  this  capitalism  which  has  been 
presented  to  us  today  in  such  glowing  colors. 
Mr.  H'ugo  told  us  that  through  capitalism  re 
current  famine  has  been  abolished.  But,  Mr. 
Hugo,  open  your  eyes,  do  you  not  see  in  every 
large  city  many  thousands  in  hopeless  search 
of  work,  consequently  unable  to  find  food  and 
shelter  for  themselves  and  their  families.  You 
have  shown  us  the  miserable  serf  going  to  the 
field  with  sickle  and  scythe  and  alongside  of 
that  picture  given  us  the  happy  farmer  of  to 
day  with  his  mower  or  his  harvester.  Open 
your  eyes,  Mr.  Hugo.  You  see  the  wheat  fields 
stacked  with  wheat  and  corn,  but  do  you  not 
also  see  the  countless  thousands  marching  on 
foot  on  the  slippery  railroad  track  back  to  the 
city  of  the  east  from  the  cornfields  of  the 
west?  These  are  the  same  men  that  have  op 
erated  your  machines  and  reaped  the  harvest 
for  you  and  others;  they  are  hirelings,  often 
more  miserable  and  wretched  than  the  serf  of 
a  hundred  years  ago.  The  serf  had  some 
rights  to  the  soil  which  he  tilled;  he  owned  the 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  199 

tools  with  which  he  worked,  but  the  wage-slave 
of  today  has  no  claim  whatsoever  upon  the 
bounties  of  this  earth.  From  the  wheat-fields  of 
the  west  he  returns  to  the  city's  slum,  to  seek 
sometimes  in  vain  from  the  winter's  cold  a 
shelter  in  the  cellar  of  the  police  station  or  the 
barracks  of  the  Salvation  Army. 

"Mr.  Hugo  has  told  us  to  look  at  the  tailor 
of  a  hundred  years  ago  crouching  on  the  floor, 
or  at  the  shoemaker  with  his  clumsy  last.  Open 
your  eyes,  Mr.  Hugo;  look  at  the  tailor  of  to 
day  in  shabby  clothes  applying  for  work  at  the 
clothing  factory  and  going  away  with  a  look  of 
despair  after  being  told  that  the  factory  was 
not  in  need  of  men  to  make  clothes,  but  in  need 
of  people  who  would  buy.  Listen  well,  Mr. 
Hugo,  not  to  wear.  Look  at  the  shoemaker 
with  worn  out  shoes  sharing  the  fate  of  the 
tailor. 

"Mr.  Hugo,  you  have  neglected  to  show  us  in 
your  picture  the  unfortunate  woman  offering 
for  sale  her  honor  for  food  and  shelter.  Mr. 
Hugo  brought  to  your  plane  of  vision  a  float 
ing  palace  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  four  days. 
He  asked  you  to  behold  a  joyful  set  of  human 
ity,  fair  maidens  and  strong  men,  seeing  hea 
ven  in  each  other's  eyes,  parading  the  upper 
deck.  He  was  willing  to  have  you  likewise  see 
bottles  of  choice  wines  on  the  banquet  tables  in 
the  saloons  furnished  with  most  exquisite  taste 
and  refined  luxury.  Saturate  your  eyes,  Mr. 
Hugo,  with  these  gorgeous  spectacles." 

Mr.  Swift  paused  for  a  few  seconds  as  if  to 
give  his  audience  time  to  take  in  the  spectacle, 
his  words  had  so  vividly  brought  before 
their  mental  eyes.  "Now  come  with  me  Mr. 


2OO  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Hugo,"  then  continued  Mr.  Swift,"  come  with 
me  to  the  steerage.  What  do  you  see?  Do  you 
see  those  miserable  cots,  hundreds  of  them  so 
close  together?  Do  you  see  those  iron  plates? 
Now  watch  those  hundreds  of  people  form  a 
line,  each  of  them  equipped  with  one  of  these 
vessels  and  waiting  for  their  turn  to  get  a  little 
soup,  mostly  water,  a  little  salt  meat  and  a  half 
a  loaf  of  stale  bread.  Watch  their  faces;  no 
gaiety  there.  Wretched  as  their  condition  is  at 
present,  their  mind  is  filled  with  fear  and  dis 
trust  of  the  future.  Go  a  little  deeper  yet, 
what  do  you  see?  A  large  number  of  huge  fur 
naces  that  remind  you  of  Dante's  description 
of  the  Inferno.  What  else?  Do  you  see  the 
hundreds  of  naked  men  shovelling  coal  into  the 
hungry  mouths  of  these  furnaces?  Look  at 
the  faces  of  these  men.  It  would  take  the  pen 
of  a  Dante,  combined  with  the  brush  of  a  Mil 
let  to  do  justice  to  this  scene.  And  now  I  ask 
the  question:  Whose  lot  is  preferable,  that  of 
Millet's  farmer  of  a  hundred  years  ago  before 
the  advent  of  capitalism  or  that  of  a  stoker  on 
one  of  our  modern  ocean  vessels? 

"Let  us  combine  the  details  of  the  picture  just 
drawn.  Five  hundred  so-called  hands  to  man 
age  the  vessel,  two  thousand  steerage  passen 
gers,  three  hundred  stokers.  Place  in  opposi 
tion  two  hundred  cabin  passengers,  drinking 
wine  and  making  love,  feasting  their  soul  on 
the  majesty  of  the  ocean  or  satisfying  their 
aesthetic  eyes  with  the  harmony  of  color  that 
surrounds  them  on  all  sides.  It  is  easy  enough 
for  the  first  two  hundred  persons  to  sing  the 
hymn  I  heard  last  Sunday  from  a  hall  in 
Huntington  Chambers :  'I  clothe  myself  safe- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          201 

ly  around  with  heavenly  Love  and  Wisdom/ 
but  it  behooves  Anarchists  to  look  at  the  other 
two  thousand,  eight  hundred  beings,  their  hard 
ships  and  degradations. 

"Mr.  Hugo  has  pointed  out  our  superior 
facilities  for  education,  but  he  has  neglected  to 
tell  you  that  our  colleges  and  universities  are 
closed  to  the  great  masses  of  people  on  account 
of  their  poverty. 

"Mr.  Hugo  has  failed  to  put  into  his  picture 
the  capitalists'  newspaper  and  magazine  writer 
often  forced  to  prostitute  his  mind  and  stulti 
fy  his  intellect.  He  has  failed  to  point  out  to 
you  the  woman  immortalized  by  Hood  in  his 
famous  "Song  of  the  Shirt"  as  she  sews  in  her 
poverty,  hunger  and  dirt  and  then  look  into 
the  windows  of  the  department  stores  at  the 
gorgeous  robes  the  product  of  her  toil,  ex 
posed  for  sale,  but  to  others. 

"Open  your  eyes,  Mr.  Hugo,  feast  them  with 
the  superabundance  provided  by  capital.  Look 
at  the  shipload  of  fish  or  of  bananas,  or  even 
of  the  most  luscious  strawberries  sunk  near 
Boston  Harbor  when  your  wireless  flashed  the 
news  that  the  market  is  over-stocked,  but  please 
do  not  close  them  now,  Mr.  Hugo,  when  I 
point  to  hungry  children  in  the  streets  of  Bos 
ton  and  New  York. 

"Gladden  your  eyes,  Mr.  Hugo,  at  the  sight 
of  ten  thousand  persons  sitting  at  the  Salva 
tion  Army's  banquet  table  on  Thanksgiving 
Day.  Look  how  ravenously  they  devour  their 
food.  Watch  how  some  stealthily  are  trying 
to  fill  their  pockets  for  "a  rainy  day",  but 
please  do  not  keep  these  men  from  your  vision 
the  other  364  days  of  the  year. 


2O2  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Summing  things  up,  we  come  to  this,  that 
Mr.  Hugo  has  given  us  a  fine  picture  of  the 
most  glorious  achievement  of  capitalism,  but 
that  he  has  not  told  us  that  its  benefits  are 
within  the  reach  of  only  a  few,  a  small  and  pri 
vileged  minority.  The  work  of  capitalism 
has  been  to  furnish  the  world  with  the  means 
to  supply  abundance,  and  this  task  has  been 
ably  done,  although  I  maintain,  not  without  in 
flicting  unnecessary  suffering  and  hardship. 
Anarchy  claims  that  the  task  of  capitalism  is 
now  done  and  the  time  for  anarchy  has  arrived 
and  that  its  task  is  to  make  the  abundance  fur 
nished  by  capitalism  accessible  to  humanity. 

"Now  something  about  individual  merits  of 
capitalists.  Here  also  I  claim  that  the  previous 
speaker  greatly  exaggerated.  Merit  has  play 
ed  a  part,  but  a  still  greater  part  was  played  by 
cunning,  fraud  and  force,  by  special  privileges 
often  secured  by  bribing  the  legislators,  the 
guardians  of  the  people's  rights.  Capitalists 
undoubtedly  contributed  something  to  the  de 
velopment  of  industries,  but  their  usefulness  is 
now  practically  exhausted,  hired  agents  carry 
on  their  work  today,  and  the  capitalists'  share 
is  confined  to  the  taking  of  dividends,  of  inter 
est,  of  rent  and  profit,  thus  practically  approp 
riating  the  result  of  other  people's  labor  with 
out  contributing  anything  at  all  to  the  activity 
of  the  race. 

"In  closing  I  want  to  say  a  few  words  about 
government.  Its  function  has  always  been  that 
of  oppression,  and  I  maintain  unnecessary  op 
pression.  Its  result  has  been  the  slave  of  the 
Athenian,  the  helot  of  the  Spartan,  the  plebe 
ian  of  the  Roman,  the  serf  of  the  feudal  lord 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          203 

and  the  wage-slave  of  the  modern  captain  of 
industry. 

"Take  off  from  men's  hands  and  feet  the 
shackles  fastened  by  government  and  you  will 
develop  a  free  manhood,  each  and  every  hu 
man  being  the  peer  and  equal  of  his  fellow, 
each  one  seeking  and  finding  his  happiness  in 
that  sphere  of  activity  for  which  nature  has 
best  fitted  him  and  you  will  have  realized  that 
Liberty  and  Brotherhood  of  which  poets  have 
sung  and  saints  have  dreamed." 

Mr.  Swift  made  a  gracious  bow  to  his  audi 
ence,  expressed  his  thanks  for  their  attention 
and  quietly  took  his  seat. 

The  clock  had  just  struck  twelve.  For  a 
few  minutes  there  was  a  deep,  nearly  oppres 
sive  silence. 

"We  have  had  some  very  instructive  hours 
indeed,"  then  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson,  "and 
after  the  mind  has  received  its  share  the  body 
must  not  be  neglected.  I  have  ordered  some 
refreshments.  Let  us  adjoin  to  another  room 
and  decide  further  arangements." 

When  they  had  taken  their  seats  at  the  tab1e 
laden  with  delicacies  of  all  kinds,  Miss  Lenz 
and  Miss  Winslow  took  a  somewhat  shy  look 
at  the  wine  and  beer  bottles  supplied  from  the 
establishment  of  Mr.  Hugo.  Miss  Lenz's 
eyes  met  those  of  Mr.  Heine  with  a  half  im 
ploring  look  but  this  gentleman  shook  his  head. 
She  understood  the  look;  his  eyes  reflected 
his  often  quoted  phrase  "quod  prodest  jovi 
non  prodest  bovi." 

Mrs.  Lawson  asked  the  opinion  of  her  guests 
concerning  the  continuance  of  the  symposium. 
Mr.  Heine  suggested  that  at  the  next  meeting 


2O4  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Miss  Winslow  would  plead  the  cause  of  Meta 
physics,  Miss  Lenz  that  of  Theosophy  and  him 
self  that  of  Socialism. 

A  pleased  expression  came  into  the  eyes  of 
Mrs.  Lawson  when  she  heard  that  Miss  Lenz 
was  to  be  one  of  the  champions  of  the  sympo 
sium. 

"So  you  have  decided  to  step  into  the  arena 
yourself,  Miss  Lenz?"  she  remarked  with  an 
approving  smile. 

"It  was  decided  for  me  at  our  last  meeting 
by  Mr.  Heine,  who  all  at  once  maintained  that 
the  double  task  of  upholding  Theosophy  and 
Socialism  was  too  much  for  him." 

"Not  too  well  expressed,  Miss  Lenz,"  replied 
Mr.  Heine,  not  without  some  show  of  self 
complacency.  "You  ought  to  know  that  I  have 
too  high  an  opinion  of  my  mental  prowess  to 
consider  any  intellectual  feat  too  much  for  me, 
but  it  was  in  order  to  give  a  separate,  and 
therefore  more  impressive  picture  of  these 
subjects,  that  I  pleaded  for  your  gracious  con 
descension  to  wield  the  sword  of  Arjuna  in  de 
fense  of  your  own  ideal." 

"I  am  very  well  pleased  with  this  arrange 
ment,"  here  interposed  Mrs.  Lawson,  "not  that 
I  want  to  disparage  in  any  way  the  prowess  of 
the  champion  of  Socialism  or  doubt  his  ability 
to  take  under  his  protecting  wings  the  fate  of 
Theosophy,  but  it  seemed  to  me  at  the  outset 
that  a  combination  of  Socialism  and  Theo 
sophy,  from  what  little  I  know  of  these  sub 
jects,  was  somewhat  incongruous.  We  might 
have  gotten  a  vivid  picture  of  the  Socialism 
and  Theosophy  of  Mr.  Heine,  but  possibly  not 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          205 

one  recognized  by  the  followers  and  defenders 
of  these  two  creeds." 

"Will  one  evening  suffice  for  three  dis 
courses?"  she  then  continued. 

"I  think  yes,"  replied  Mr.  Heine.  "Mr.  Hugo 
and  Mr.  Swift  not  only  have  covered  their 
own  field,  but  have  encroached  considerably 
upon  the  preserves  of  Socialism  and  Theoso- 
phy  and  thus  lessened  our  labor." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SECOND     EVENING    OF     THE    SYMPOSIUM 

Miss  Winslow,  dressed  in  an  elegant  cos 
tume,  stood  before  our  little  assembly  of  earn 
est  souls,  ready  to  consider  the  claim  of  Meta 
physics  for  the  possession  of  the  best  and 
shortest  road  that  would  lead  to  the  land  of 
Liberty  and  Brotherhood. 

Miss  Winslow,  conscious  of  her  often  tested 
oratorial  powers  spoke  without  notes.  With 
mind  and  heart  saturated  with  her  ideas,  she 
was  not  in  need  of  adjuncts. 

The  gist  of  her  speech  was  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Hugo  in  his  address  a  few  days  ago 
gladdened  our  hearts  with  a  beautiful  picture, 
full  of  light  and  sunshine,  and  representing  the 
glorious  results  of  what  we  call  capitalism. 
Mr.  Swift  then  followed  with  what  he  claimed 
was  the  opposite  and  completing  side  of  Mr. 
Hugo's  magnificent  tableau.  We  shrank  from 
contemplating  the  dark  lines  and  dismal 
shadows  brought  before  our  mental  eye  by  the 
eloquent  plea  of  anarchy's  dexterous  champion. 
The  two  speakers  reminded  me  of  the  story 
of  the  two  wayfarers,  disputing  from  opposite 
sides  about  the  color  of  the  guidepost,  which 
was  blue  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other. 
These  two  wayfarers  finally  came  to  blows. 
Had  they  but  for  one  moment  exchanged  places 
206 


MISS    WINSLOW 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          207 

they  might  have  become  agreeable  companions 
for  the  rest  of  their  journey.  If  our  sympos 
ium  will  serve  for  such  an  exchange  of  places, 
a  great  deal  will  have  been  accomplished  for 
each  one  of  us. 

"The  story  of  the  two  wanderers  and  the 
guidepost  illustrates  the  often  quoted  state 
ment,  that  there  are  two  sides  to  most  ques 
tions.  But  that  two  sides  are  insufficient  and 
inadequate  is  shown  in  this  very  symposium, 
for  Mr.  Hugo  gave  one  side  of  the  question, 
Mr.  Swift  another,  and  I  am  to  give  a  third, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  Miss  Lenz  and 
Mr.  Heine  will  show  us  many  more  shades  and 
hues  not  before  seen  on  the  memorable  guide- 
post. 

"At  the  outset  of  my  discourse  I  wish  to  de 
clare  that  I  am  more  in  sympathy  with  the  side 
of  the  picture  given  us  by  Mr.  Hugo  than  with 
that  by  Mr.  Swift.  Not  that  I  endorse  fully 
the  attitude  of  the  former  gentleman.  He  dwelt 
too  much  upon  the  achievements  and  posses 
sion  of  material  things ;  he  fails  to  see  that 
these  material  things  should  be  considered  and 
utilized  only  as  a  means  for  mental  and  spirit 
ual  unfoldment.  He  fails  to  see  that  the  pos 
session  of  exterior  things  are  as  nothing  com 
pared  with  the  bliss  enjoyed  by  the  soul  from 
the  mountain  peaks  reached  through  higher 
philosophy  and  metaphysics.  H,ow  insignifi 
cant  and  nearly  degrading  the  sordid  striving 
after  worldly  pleasures  seems  to  a  soul  that  has 
entered  the  path  leading  to  higher  unfoldment, 
to  human  progression  towards  Godhood.  Let 
our  industrial  lord  be  made  to  see  life  from  a 
philosophical  viewpoint,  let  us  teach  him  that 


208  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

we  all  live  and  have  our  being  in  the  one  God, 
and  I  firmly  believe  that,  when  he  once  has  a 
clear  view  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  he  will 
also  recognize  the  Brotherhood  of  man  and  he 
will  find  his  happiness  in  constituting  himself 
the  guardian  of  the  needy  and  the  weak  and 
then  we  will  find  the  realization  of  the  dream 
dreamed  by  Plato  over  two  thousand  years  ago. 
I  am  willing  to  admit  that  Mr.  Hugo  dwelt  too 
much  upon  the  sunlight  and  disregarded  the 
shadows,  but  I  think  Mr.  Swift  has  gone  even 
farther  in  the  opposite  extreme.  I  would  like 
to  quote  against  him  the  statement  of  an  an 
cient  philosopher,  recognized  as  true  by  the 
thinker  of  today,  'Quidquid  est  bonum  est'. 
Mr.  Swift,  you  have  drawn  your  shadows  too 
dark  and  too  long. 

"The  champion  of  anarchy  seemed  utterly 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  things  are  to  us  as 
seen  or  felt  by  us.  What  is  dark  and  gloomy 
to  our  eyes,  may  be  to  eyes  differently  consti 
tuted  full  of  light  and  sunshine.  Night  is  day 
to  the  owl.  The  men  whose  life  Mr.  Swift 
pictures  in  such  dismal  colors  are  often  per 
fectly  happy  in  their  surroundings  and  satis 
fied  with  their  conditions,  in  fact  would  often 
be  most  wretched  and  miserable  in  any  other. 
If  Mr.  Swift  would  read  something  of 
Swedenborg's  'Law  of  Harmony'  he  would 
learn  a  useful  lesson  and  procure  for  himself 
valuable  information.  Let  him  offer  to  some 
people  now  living  in  the  slums  of  Boston  beau 
tiful  cottages  situated  in  Nahant  or  Newton 
for  the  same  rent,  including  cost  of  transporta 
tion,  and  he  will  quickly  find  out  that  Nahant 
or  Newton  possesses  no  attraction  for  these 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          209 

people.  Or  let  him  place  an  elegantly  furnish 
ed  liquor  saloon  along  side  of  one  filthy  and 
dirty,  such  a  one  as  you  see  today,  only  too 
many  in  our  slums,  both  places  charging  equal 
prices  and  he  will  soon  see  that  the  elegantly 
furnished  liquor  saloon  does  not  impair  the 
patronage  of  the  other.  Open  your  eyes,  Mr. 
Swift.  Do  you  see  these  four  dirty  unkempt 
and  beastly  looking  men  in  that  filthy  saloon 
yonder,  do  you  see  the  greasy  deck  of  cards  in 
their  unwashed  hands ;  do  you  hear  the  oaths 
of  the  one  and  the  curses  of  the  other  accom 
panying  the  varying  fortunes  of  their  game  of 
cards?  It  is  a  sight  from  which  even  a  cham 
pion  of  anarchy  might  shrink.  Now,  invite 
these  people  to  come  to  a  place  like  this ;  they 
will  refuse.  If  you  should  bring  them  here  by 
force  they  would  be  wretchedly  unhappy.  The 
pig  wants  dirt,  it  spurns  your  carpet.  Our  low 
er  classes  still  need  the  leash  of  the  law,  not 
only  for  the  safety  of  others,  but  still  more  fo~ 
their  protection ;  they  need  the  guiding  hand 
of  a  strong  superior  and  an  intelligent  and  kind 
employer  will  be  the  person  best  fitted  for  such 
a  task. 

''The  members  of  the  working  class  shrink 
from  assuming  any  kind  of  responsibility  or 
leadership.  It  is  a  most  significant  thing  to  the 
conscientious  thinker  that  Gompers,  the  Pres 
ident  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor, 
the  chosen  leader  of  the  most  advanced  group 
of  the  working  class,  which  according  to  Mr. 
Swift  is  writhing  in  agony  in  the  most  fright 
ful  abyss,  is  one  of  the  keenest  and  ablest  op 
ponents  of  that  change  which,  according  to  the 
champion  of  anarchy,  would  bring  every  bless- 


2io  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ing  to  those  whose  interest  he  is  supposed  to 
defend.  No,  with  all  due  honor  to  the  heart 
and  head  of  Mr.  Swift,  I  maintain  with  Mr. 
Hugo  that  the  laboring  class  needs  the  employ 
er  class,  not  only  for  the  safety  and  welfare  of 
others  but  still  more  for  its  own  progress  and 
wellbeing.  If  the  employer  lacks  today  the 
kindness  needed  to  best  fulfill  its  mission,  let 
us  widen  his  mental  horizon  by  leading  him  to 
the  intellectual  and'  spiritual  heights  reached 
through  higher  philosophy  and  metaphysics, 
and  you  will  then  have  the  dawn  of  a  new  era 
of  Liberty  and  Brotherhood." 

Miss  Winslow  resumed  her  seat  under  a  spell 
of  nearly  painful  silence.  Mr.  Hugo  extended 
his  hand  as  a  mark  of  silent  approbation.  A 
faint  smile  passed  over  the  lips  of  Mrs.  Law- 
son  as  she  recognized  the  harmony  between  the 
champion  of  capitalism  and  that  of  metaphy 
sics. 

And  now  all  eyes  were  turned  towards  Miss 
Lenz.  An  unusual  fire  seemed  to  have  been 
ignited  in  the  usually  so  calm  blue  eyes  of  the 
champion  of  Thesophy.  As  she  arose  and  stood 
before  her  audience,  the  sweet  and  kindly  ex 
pression  on  her  face  contrastd  strangely  with 
the  stern  and  rigid  features  of  the  previous 
speaker.  Miss  Lenz  also  spoke  without  notes 
and  seemed  completely  free  from  any  kind  of 
embarrassment  or  doubts  in  her  ability  to  do 
justice  to  the  cause  entrusted  to  her  care.  She 
spoke  as  follows: 

"The  previous  speaker,  my  friend  Miss 
Winslow,  in  the  beginning  of  her  address 
voiced  the  preference  of  Metaphysics  for  the 
claims  of  capitalism  as  opposed  to  that  of  An- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          211 

archy.  Strange  as  this  may  seem  to  some  I  do 
not  think  that  the  principles  enunciated  by 
Theosophy  would  allow  me  to  follow  her  ex 
ample.  On  the  contrary,  I  hold  that  the  side 
represented  by  Mr.  Swift  is  in  some  respects 
entitled  to  first  consideration. 

"The  glorious  achievements  of  the  twentieth 
century  were  most  eloquently  presented  by  Mr. 
Hugo.  Mr.  Swift  in  his  turn  has  pointed  out  to 
us  that  the  benefits  from  these  achievements 
are  enjoyed  by  a  small  minority  and  has  told 
us  of  many  dismal  features  attending  our  pre 
sent  civilization.  I  would  like  to  ask  here  this 
question.  Has  the  progress  of  the  twentieth 
century  brought  to  mankind  a  corresponding, 
preceptible  advance  on  the  path  to  a  higher  and 
noble  life?  I  agree  with  Mr.  Swift  when  he 
says  that  the  abundance  in  the  supply  of 
material  things  has  gone  hand  in  hand  with  an 
increased  difficulty  for  many  people  to  obtain 
them.  It  is  today  often  more  difficult  to  obtain 
the  necessities  of  life  for  a  large  number  of 
people  in  these  United  States,  a  country  upon 
which  nature  has  showered  all  her  blessings, 
than  it  is  in  the  desert,  in  the  land  of  Eskimos 
or  in  Iceland." 

As  she  finished  the  last  word  a  strange  and 
nearly  embarrassed  expression  came  into  the 
eyes  of  Miss  Lenz  and  she  remarked  half  apo 
logetically,  "I  hope  I  am  not  encroaching  upon 
your  domain,  Mr.  Heine.  I  am  conscious  of 
having  borrowed  one  of  your  appeals  in  behalf 
of  your  doctrine  of  life." 

"Do  not  be  uneasy,  Miss  Lenz,"  answered  the 
champion  of  Socialism,  not  without  some  show 
of  self-satisfaction.  "Take  as  many  arrows 


212  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

from  my  quiver  as  you  wish;  its  supply  is 
overbundant." 

"Your  kindness  is  duly  appreciated,  but 
Theosophy  has  no  need  of  the  arrows  of 
Socialism. 

"What  I  started  to  say,"  she  then  resumed, 
"was  this:  I  agree  with  Mr.  Hugo  in  his  praise 
for  capitalism  for  supplying  abundance  to  hu 
manity.  I  do  not  agree  with  him  when  he  says 
that  capitalism,  unhindered  and  given  full  sway 
would  cease  to  be  selfish  and  become  altruistic. 
I  agree  with  Mr.  Swift  that  there  is  a  dark  and 
gloomy  side  in  society  as  at  present  constitut 
ed,  and  that  the  improvement  of  this  side 
should  receive  our  first  consideration  and  the 
consideration  of  government,  and  I  widely  dif 
fer  from  Mr.  Swift  when  he  tells  us  that  the 
people  of  today  would  live  in  peace  and  har 
mony  if  all  restraints  and  fear  of  the  law  were 
taken  away.  I  hold,  on  the  contrary,  that  cha 
os  and  bloodshed  would  soon  follow  such  an 
attempt  and  that  civilization  would  receive  a 
set-back  from  which  it  would  take  centuries  to 
recover.  I  agree  with  Miss  Winslow,  our 
champion  of  Metaphysics,  when  she  prefers  to 
dwell  on  the  beautiful  and  sunny  side  of  life, but 
I  find  fault  with  her  placid  acceptance  of  the 
naturalness  of  the  other,  the  dark  and  gloomy 
side.  How  anyone  can  wish  to  feast  in  light 
and  sunshine  while  his  fellow  men  are  suffering 
from  gloom  and  darkness  is  beyond  the  reach 
of  my  understanding.  Might  not  a  blame,  a 
responsibility  rest  with  those  above  for  the  low 
scale  of  evolution  in  which  are  found  some  of 
those  below?  Should  it  not  be  considered  the 
first  duty  of  the  more  advanced  brother  of  the 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  213 

race  to  help  along  those  in  the  rear  instead  of 
thinking  of  his  own   further  advancement   and 
consequently  make    still    wider    the    separation 
from  the   rest?     In  this   connection   I   wish   to 
recite  the  poem  by  Edwin   Markham,   inspired 
by    Millet's    Angelus,  to    which    reference    has 
been  made  by  a  previous  speaker: 
"Bowed  by  the  weight  of  centuries  he  leans 
Upon  his  hoe  and  gazes  on  the  ground, 
The  emptiness  of  ages  on  his  face; 
And  on  his  back  the  burden  of  the  world. 
Who  made  him  dead  to  rapture  and  despair, 
A  thing  that  grives  not  and  that  never  hoped, 
Stolid  and  stunned,  a  brother  to  the  ox, 
Who  loosened  and  let  down  this  brutal  jaw, 
Whose  was  the  hand  that  slanted  back  his  brow 
Whose    breath    blew    out    the    light    within    his 

brain, 

Is  this  the  thing  the  Lord  God  made  and  gave, 
To  have  dominion  over  sea  and  land, 
To  trace  the  stars,  and  search  the  heavens  for 

power 

To  feel  the  passion  for  Eternity? 
Is  this  the  dream  He  dreamed  who  shaped  the 

suns 

And  marked  their  ways  upon  the  ancient  deep, 
Down  the  stretch  of  Hell  to  its  last  gulf; 
There  is  no  deep  more  terrible  than  this, 
More  tongued  with  censure  of  the  world's  blind 

creeds. 

More  filled  with  signs  and  portents  of  the  soul, 
More  fraught  with  menace  to  the  universe, 
What  gulfs  between  him  and  the  seraphim. 
Slave  of  the  wheel  of  labor,  what  to  him 
Are  Plato  and  the  swing  of  Pleiades? 
What  the  long  reaches  of  the  peaks  of  song, 


214  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

The  rift  of  dawn,  the  reddening  of  the  rose. 
Through   this   dread   shape   the   suffering  ages 

look, 

Time's  tragedy  is  in  that  aching  stoop. 
Through  this  dread  shape,  humanity,  betrayed, 
Plundered,  profaned  and  disinherited, 
Cries  protest  to  the  churches  of  the  world — 
A  protest  that  is  also  prophecy. 
O  Masters,  lords  and  rulers  in  all  lands, 
Is  this  the  handiwork  you  give  to  God? 
This     monstrous     thing,     distorted     and     soul 

quenched, 

How  will  you  ever  straighten  up  this  shape? 
Touch  it  again  with  immortality. 
Give  back  the  upward  looking  and  the  light, 
Rebuild  in  it  the  music  and  the  dream, 
Make  right  the  immemorial,  infamous, 
Perfidious   wrong,    immedicable   woes ; 
O  masters,  lords  and  rulers  in  all  lands, 
How  will  the  Future  reckon  with  this  man? 
How  answer  his  brute  question  in  that  hour 
When  whirlwinds  of  rebellion  shake  the  world? 
How  will  it  be  with  kingdoms  and  with  Kings? 
With  those  who  shaped  him  to  the  thing  he  is 
When  this  dumb  terror  shall  reply  to  God 
After  the  silence  of  the  centuries?" 

As  with  the  prophet's  eyes  and  sweet  ringing 
voice  the  champion  of  Theosophy  recited  this 
famous  poem  by  Edwin  Markham  she  seemed 
carried  along  with  her  own  emotion.  The  au 
dience  likewise  became  deeply  moved.  Mr. 
Hugo  and  Miss  Winslow,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  poem,  showed  signs  of  uneasiness,  which 
gradually  changed  into  a  kind  of  stupor,  and 
when  Miss  Lenz  had  finished  there  came  a 
strange  light  into  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Hugo. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          215 

Markham's  poem  finished,  Miss  Lenz  paused 
a  few  seconds  to  master  her  emotions  and  col 
lect  her  thoughts  and  take  up  again  the  trend 
of  her  argument.  She  then  continued: 

"I  do  not  wish  the  audience  to  understand 
that  I,  or  rather  Theosophy,  agrees  entirely 
with  the  sentiments  expressed  by  Edwin 
Markham.  I  think  he  grossly  exaggerates. 
He  fails  to  see  the  underlying  causes  of  the 
picture  which  he  presents  so  graphically  to  our 
minds.  I  agree  with  Miss  Winslow  that  there 
are  souls  in  different  stages  of  development, 
some  not  yet  ready  for  a  higher  mental  and 
spiritual  development,  but  I  want  to  lay  great 
er  stress  than  she  upon  the  fact  that  we  our 
selves  have  also  passed  through  these  stages  of 
evolution  and  that  there  is  more  progress  made 
by  any  individual  in  trying  to  help  another,  one 
step  on  the  road  to  higher  life  (which  by  the 
way  is  the  same  road  that  must  lead  to  Liberty 
and  Brotherhood)  than  in  trying  to  make  two 
steps  alone,  regardless  of  his  fellow. 

"The  echo  which  Markham's  poem  elicited 
from  all  the  corners  of  the  world  showed  that 
Markham  struck  a  chord  vibrating  in  the  heart 
of  the  good  and  wise,  in  harmony  with  at  least 
some  of  the  sentiments  expressed.  Am  I  my 
brother's  keeper?  was  asked  many  thousand 
years  ago  and  all  religions  of  the  world  an 
swered  this  question  in  the  affirmative.  Con 
cerning  the  view  enjoyed  from  the  mental  and 
intellectual  heights  of  higher  philosophy,  so 
vividly  put  before  our  eyes  by  Miss  Winslow, 
I  am  in  accord,  but  I  maintain  that  these 
heights  are  cold,  as  cold  as  the  Alpine  Moun 
tain  peaks  and  that  the  warmth  of  applied  reli- 


216  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

gion  is  needed  to  make  the  vision  enjoyed  real 
ly  serviceable  for  our  own  progress  and  that  of 
our  fellow  man.  And  by  religion  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind,  I  do  not  mean  creed  or  dogma, 
but  the  recognition  of  our  dependence  upon  a 
supreme  power,  and  of  the  fact  that  we  are  all 
children  of  one  father,  and  therefore  brothers 
and  sisters  with  mutual  obligations.  Intelligent 
religion  consists  in  fulfilling  our  .duties 
towards  ourselves  and  towards  our  fellowmen. 
God  the  Absolute  must  moreover  remain  a 
mere  abstraction  of  the  finite  mind  and  can  only 
be  reached  through  His  creatures.  What  are 
the  injunctions  of  Christ,  of  Zarathustra  or 
even  of  Mohammed?  What  are  we  taught  in 
the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan?  Do  we 
not  read  in  the  vision  of  judgment,  if  you 
have  fed  or  clothed  any  hungry  or  naked  being, 
you  have  fed  and  clothed  Me?  Let  us  look  at 
life  as  it  is  reflected  in  the  teachings  of  God's 
Messengers  and  we  will  find  that  even  selfish 
ness,  enlightened  regard  for  our  own  advance 
ment  necessitates  that  we  first  help  our  weaker 
brother.  Even  the  Catholic  Church  has  a 
glimpse  of  that  truth  when  she  teaches  that 
offering  a  prayer  for  a  soul  in  purgatory  is 
more  efficacious  for  the  supplicant  than  a  pray 
er  for  a  personal  favor,  but  of  course  we  must 
take  care  that  we  do  not  merely  pretend  to 
pray  for  others  while  we  think  of  self. 

"I  maintain  once  more  the  first  thing  essen 
tial  is  the  teaching  that  all  men  are  brothers, 
that  our  own  real  advance  is  strongly  linked  to 
that  of  the  entire  race  and  that  those  who  want 
to  rush  ahead,  regardless  of  others,  retard  their 
own  progress  and  the  progress  of  the  race. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          217 

"But  Theosophy  not  only  teaches  us  the  duties 
to  ourselves,  to  our  fellow  men  and  to  God;  it 
also  explains  them  satisfactorily  to  our  reason. 
It  reveals  to  our  mind  the  reign  of  justice  and 
harmony  where  injustice  and  chaos  seemed  to 
exist  before.  The  underlying  basis  of  Theo 
sophy,  Reincarnation,  with  its  corollary  Karma, 
expands  and  adds  to  the  materialistic  view  of 
evolution.  It  shows  an  involution  of  mind  ac 
companying  the  evolution  of  matter.  Theo 
sophy  tells  us  that  every  thought  and  every  act 
has  it  corresponding  effect  and  bears  its  proper 
fruit  not  only  to  be  reaped  in  the  heaven  world 
but  right  here  on  earth.  It  teaches  us  that  in 
one  life  we  build  the  foundation  and  prepare 
the  condition  for  the  life  in  our  next  sojourn 
upon  this  planet. 

"But  from  the  statement  that  in  the  present 
life  we  lay  the  foundation  for  the  condition  in 
to  which  we  will  be  born  in  our  next  incarna 
tion,  some  may  draw  the  facile  and  flattering 
conclusion  that  their  favorite  and  privileged 
position  has  been  earned  by  previous  merit  and 
good  conduct.  Such  a  conclusion  might  not  be 
altogther  unfounded,  but  there  are  many  in 
visible  threads  in  the  Law  of  Karma;  there  is 
the  reflection  that  many  souls  spending  their 
present  life  amidst  the  most  pleasurable  sur 
roundings  in  ease  and  comfort  and  enjoying 
the  magnificent  vistas  from  the  metaphysical 
mountain  peaks,  might  not  have  the  strength 
that  would  make  a  life  of  sorrow  and  hardship 
serviceable  to  their  progress.  The  statement  of 
the  Master,  'Him  whom  God  loveth  He  chas- 
tiseth'  points  to  hidden  principles  in  the  Law  of 


218  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Karma,  to  threads   invisible  upon  the  physical 
plane. 

"It  might  be  borne  in  mind  here  that  Epic- 
tetus  was  a  slave,  that  Jacob  Boehme  was  the 
child  of  poor  and  ignorant  peasants  and  made 
his  living  as  a  shoemaker;  that  William  Blake 
all  his  life  had  to  struggle  against  abject  pov 
erty;  that  the  great  Whitman  was  living  in  the 
most  unfavorable  conditions,  and  that  Jesus 
Himself  was  a  carpenter's  son.  But  that  jus 
tice,  the  most  rigid  and  absolute,  tempered  with 
mercy,  reigns  in  the  universe,  the  Law  of  Kar 
ma  guarantees. 

"One  of  the  previous  speakers  mentioned  the 
seer  Swedenborg  and  his  Law  of  Harmony. 
Swedenborg  was  one  of  the  world's  great  teach 
ers.  Some  of  his  visions  may  have  come  to  us 
distorted  by  the  interpretation  of  a  mind  satu 
rated  with  a  narrow  theology,  but  we  might 
safely  accept  his  teaching  that  man  is  good  to 
the  extent  that  he  is  unselfish  and  bad  to  the 
degree  that  he  is  selfish.  Swedenborg's  visions 
taught  him,  and  through  him  teach  us,  that  we 
are  upon  this  earth  to  learn,  to  progress,  that 
after  what  we  call  death  we  enter  another 
world  in  that  state  of  development  in  which  we 
leave  this  one.  Swedenborg  teaches,  and  we 
ourselves  know  from  our  own  experience,  that 
suffering  teaches  man  sympathy,  thus  advanc 
ing  us  upon  the  line  of  goodness.  We  may  rest 
assured  that  economic  suffering,  the  hardships 
so  vividly  pictured  by  the  champion  of  Anar 
chy,  have  a  just  cause  and  serve  a  beneficent 
purpose  in  the  evolution  of  the  cosmos,  in  the 
progress  of  the  human  race.  Providence  some- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          219 

times  needs  a  whip  to  direct  humanity  on  the 
road  that  leads  to  perfection. 

"Even  our  moral  lapses,  our  falls  from 
grace,  may  prove  blessings  in  disguise  needed 
to  make  us  sympathize  with  the  falls  of  others. 
Before  my  mind  often  stands  the  sentence  of 
the  sage,  'It  is  a  consolation  for  us  to  think  that 
even  our  errors,  our  shortcomings,  yea  our  sins 
are  only  an  education  for  our  future  immor 
tality'.  We  might  also  get  food  for  reflection 
from  the  sentence  of  a  very  highly  developed 
soul,  Goethe,  according  to  some,  the  greatest 
genius  the  German  race  has  produced:  'There 
is  no  deed,  good  or  bad,  which  I  myself  might 
not  have  committed/ 

"Theosophy  teaches  us  our  at-oneness,  not 
only  with  God  and  with  the  saint,  but  also  with 
the  sinner.  It  makes  the  only  obligation  for 
membership  in  the  Society  the  recognition  of 
the  Brotherhood  of  Man.  Theosophy  brings  to 
the  magnificent,  but  cold,  intellectual  heights 
of  the  Metaphysician  the  genial  and  inspiring 
warmth  of  religion.  It  brings  the  spark  that 
cometh  from  above  into  unison  with  the  mortal 
mind  and  this  union  will  serve  as  the  best,  the 
shortest  and  most  pleasant  vehicle  or  road  that 
will  lead  mankind  to  true  Liberty  and  Brother 
hood/' 

As  Miss  Lenz  pronounced  the  last  two  words 
with  a  somewhat  emphatic  intonation  she  made 
a  little  bow  and  resumed  her  seat  as  uncon 
scious  of  having  done  anything  above  the  or 
dinary  as  on  the  evening  when  she  gave  her 
address  on  reincarnation  at  the  Theosophical 
Society.  A  smile  of  approval  greeted  her  from 
Mrs.  Lawson.  Alice  De  Ruiz  slowly  arose 


22O  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

and,  with  a  tear  glistening  in  her  soft  blue  eyes, 
imprinted  a  kiss  on  the  pure  forehead  of  Miss 
Lenz  and  said  in  a  tremulous  voice,  "You  have 
opened  my  eyes  to  strange  things  this  evening." 

Mr.  Hugo  and  Miss  Winslow  exchanged  a 
look,  whose  significance  it  would  be  difficult  to 
describe,  but  in  that  look  there  was  a  question. 
Mr.  Heine  then  broke  the  spell,  he  extended 
his  hand  to  Miss  Lenz  who  he  seemed  to  con 
sider  in  the  light  of  a  confederate  and  said  in 
a  loud  and  joyful  voice,  "Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  servant." 

"Now  your  turn  has  come,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Lawson,  looking  at  Mr.  Heine.  This  gentle 
man  hesitated.  "I  did  not  think  that  the  two 
preceding  speakers  would  have  so  much  to 
say,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "I  do  not  wish  to 
say  this  in  a  sense  of  reproach,  for  I  think  we 
all  have  benefited  by  this  evening's  discourse, 
but  the  time  is  already  advanced  and  I  would 
like  to  reflect  upon  some  of  the  ideas  presented 
to  us  this  evening  before  illuminating  them 
further  through  the  prism  of  Socialism.  Why 
not  appoint  another  evening  for  this  task?" 

Mrs.  Lawson  looked  around,  and  seeing  no 
objection,  she  remarked,  "The  idea  seems  ap 
proved;  let  us  adjourn  to  the  dining  room." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A    THEOSOPHICAL    CHAT 

The  next  morning,  while  Mrs.  Lawson  was 
dictating  some  letters  to  Miss  Lenz,  Alice  De 
Ruiz  entered  the  room,  and  after  making  a 
short  apology  for  her  intrusion,  she  asked  Miss 
Lenz  to  come  to  her  room  for  a  chat  as  soon  as 
she  would  be  at  leisure.  "I  want  to  discuss  a 
few  things  with  you,"  she  said,  "which  nearly 
kept  me  from  sleeping  last  night." 

"I  shall  come  as  soon  as  Mrs.  Lawson  can 
dispense  with  my  services,"  declared  Miss 
Lenz. 

"Your  services  are  forthwith  dispensed 
with,"  was  the  quick  remark  made  by  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

A  startled  look  came  into  the  eyes  of  Miss 
Lenz  as  Mrs.  Lawson  said  these  words  in  what 
seemed  to  be  an  abrupt  manner. 

"I  of  course  meant,  with  your  permission," 
then  declared  Miss  Lenz. 

"Now,  Miss  Lenz,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson 
then  smiling,  "I  am  surprised,  you  seem  to  think 
you  have  given  offense.  I  think  it  is  I  who 
should  be  offended,  that  you  should  think  that 
I  would  take  offense  where  none  was  intended. 
Besides,  since  you  seem  to  insist  upon  looking  at 
our  relations  from  what  Mr.  Swift  would  call  a 
capitalistic  viewpoint,  I  will  inform  you  that 
Miss  De  Ruiz  and  myself  are  in  partnership 
221 


222  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

and  consequently  she  has  as  much  right  upon 
your  time  as  I  have." 

"I  know  I  did  not  mean  to  give  any  offense," 
declared  Miss  Lenz,  ''but,  as  Mr.  Heine  says, 
and  I  have  found  him  correct  in  this  respect 
from  personal  experience,  employers  are  uncer 
tain  quantities,  and  then  I  have  such  a  good 
position  now  that  the  chance  of  losing  it  makes 
me  a  little  nervous." 

"You  must  have  had  some  strange  experi 
ences,  and  not  at  all  flattering  to  capitalists  or 
employers." 

"I  suppose,  all  those  who  have  to  work  for 
a  living  get  those  experiences  sometimes  and 
more  strange  ones  than  you  have  an  idea  of." 
A  sad  look  came  into  her  eyes  as  she  seemed  to 
remember  some  of  these  experiences.  "But  life 
is  a  school  and  we  are  here  to  learn,"  she  then 
concluded. 

A  look  of  admiration  came  into  the  eyes  of 
Mrs.  Lawson  as  she  looked  at  the  sweet  inno 
cent  face  of  her  secretary,  who  seemed  to  have 
passed  unscathed  through  these  experiences 
so  vaguely  hinted  at. 

"Well  what  shall  I  do  now,"  remarked  Miss 
Lenz  as  she  looked  half  uncertain  from  Mrs. 
Lawson  to  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"Your  position  is  not  so  simple  after  all,  for 
as  you  see,  instead  of  having  to  please  one  you 
have  to  please  two  employers,"  remarked  Miss 
De  Ruiz  playfully,  as  her  arm  softly  stole 
around  the  waist  of  Miss  Lenz,  whom  she  over 
topped  by  nearly  a  head. 

"Can  your  letters  wait?"  she  then  said  look 
ing  at  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Certainly,"  was  the  reply. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          223 

"Then  Miss  Lenz  is  mine  for  a  while,"  de 
clared  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"But  is  it  necessary  that  I  am  an  outsider?" 
asked  Mrs.  Lawson.  "Why  not  let  me,  as  said 
Dion  the  tyrant,  be  the  third  one  in  your 
league." 

"What  do  you  say,  Miss  Lenz?"  remarked 
Alice  De  Ruiz  playfully. 

"You  had  not  better  leave  too  much  to  Miss 
Lenz,  at  least  not  until  she  has  become  a  little 
better  acquainted  with  her  two  latest  employ 
ers." 

"All  right,"  said  Alice  De  Ruiz,  with  a  little 
bow,  "I  will  decide  the  question.  You  will  be 
very  welcome  in  this  trio." 

When  they  were  seated  comfortably  in  the 
apartment  of  Miss  De  Ruiz,  the  latter  turned 
to  Miss  Lenz  and  in  a  voice  which  differ 
ed  strangely  from  the  light  tone  of  a  few  minu 
tes  ago,  she  said  thoughtfully: 

"There  was  one  remark  in  your  discourse 
yesterday  which  impressed  me  especially,  for  a 
similar  remark  made  by  somebody  else  was  the 
cause  of  a  great  deal  of  sorrow.  You  said,  as 
near  as  I  can  remember,  that  God  is  an  ab 
straction.  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  God  is 
not  real?" 

"Not  at  all.  On  the  contrary,  the  only  thing 
real  is  God;  every  thing  else  is  only  appear 
ance,  mere  manifestations  and  illusions  in 
time.  We  ourselves  are  only  as  far  as  we  are 
parts  of  God,  but  to  the  minds  of  even  the  most 
highly  developed,  manifestations,  such  as  hu 
man  beings,  God  the  Absolute,  the  Cause  of  all 
things,  in  Whom  St.  Paul  says,  we  live  and 
have  our  being,  will  necessarily  remain  a  mem- 


224  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

tal  abstraction,  which  we  can  but  dimly  appre 
hend  with  our  intellect.  The  thinkers  of  the 
world  from  hoary  antiquity  to  Plato,  and  from 
Plato  to  Spencer  and  Franz  von  Hartman  have 
been  satisfied  to  employ  the  term  Unknowable 
when  speaking  of  God  the  Absolute." 

"But  if  He  cannot  be  known,  how  can  we 
speak  about  Him.  How  can  we  know  that  He 
exists?" 

"Philosophy  shows  that  He,  She,  or  It,  (Use 
whatever  pronoun  you  wish,  for  God  can 
either  be  feminine,  masculine  or  neuter,  or  a'l 
three ;  since  in  fact  He  is  everything,  the  cry 
stal,  the  flower,  the  bee,  and  the  genus  Homo; 
the  slayer  and  the  slain,  as  is  written  in  the 
Bhagavad  Gita)  is  necessary  for  our  own  ex 
istence  and  the  existence  of  the  world.  Theo- 
sophy,"  continued  Miss  Lenz,  "not  only  shows 
that  God,  the  Unknowable,  exists,  but  that  It  is 
the  only  thing  that  necessarily  exists,  for  upon 
Its  existence  everything  depends." 

When  speaking  on  Theosophical  subjects  the 
self-confident  demeanor  of  Miss  Lenz  contrast 
ed  so  strangely  with  her  attitude  when  per 
forming  her  functions  as  stenographer  or  sec 
retary,  that  Miss  De  Ruiz  and  Mrs.  Lawson 
could  not  help  wondering  at  the  metamorpho 
sis,  and  their  eyes  met  with  a  common  thought. 

When  Miss  Lenz  ceased  speaking  Alice  De 
Ruiz  sat  silent  for  a  few  seconds  and  then 
said  in  a  thoughtful  manner: 

"I  understand  the  words,  but  I  think  I  fail 
to  see  their  exact  bearings.  I  can't  see  how  a 
religion  can  be  built  upon  such  a  philosophy  or 
theology." 

"Theosophy,   the    religion    of     Brotherhood," 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          225 

replied  Miss  Lenz,  "teaches  us  that  while  God 
as  the  Absolute  we  cannot  apprehend,  even 
with  the  mind,  we  can  do  our  duty  towards 
Him  by  serving  our  fellow  man,  and  every 
thing  else  which  exists,  for  even  the  higher 
animals  have  a  special  claim  upon  our  foster 
ing  care,  as  in  the  next  Manvantara  they  will 
occupy  the  human  plane.  It  is  our  duty  to  co 
operate  with  the  forces  of  nature  in  her  evolu 
tion  or  unfoldment." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  animals  can  be 
come  human  beings?"  asked  Miss  De  Ruiz, 
amazed. 

"Not  at  once,"  was  the  placid  rejoinder, 
"maybe  in  a  million  of  years,  after  this  earth 
the  sun  and  stars  have  ceased  to  exist,  as  we 
understand  existence." 

"The  theory  of  evolution  is  today  accepted 
by  all  the  schools,"  continued  Miss  Lenz  as  she 
recognized  the  look  of  amazement  in  the  eyes 
of  her  two  listeners,  "and  if  that  theory  is  true, 
the  forms  of  all  human  beings  must  have  evol 
ved  from  the  animal  kingdom,  but  materialis 
tic  science  sees  but  one  side  of  evolution,  that 
of  matter.  It  disregards,  as  I  pointed  out  yes 
terday,  the  spiritual  evolution,  or  rather  involu 
tion  of  mind.  It  fails  to  bridge  the  gulf 
between  the  mortal  and  immortal  life,  and  that 
is  done  by  Theosophy,  by  its  interpretation  of 
evolution.  Bergson's  'Creative  Evolution'  is 
a  striking  interpretation  of  the  Theosophical 
view  of  evolution.  Maeterlinck's  allegory, 
'The  Blue  Bird,'  is  another  picture  of  life  in 
complete  harmony  with  our  teachings.  His 
figures  of  Cat,  Dog,  Light  and  Night,  standing 
for  senses,  reason,  intuition  and  matter,  res- 


226  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

pectively,  accord  also  with  our  position.  In 
'Our  Eternity,'  Maeterlinck  regrets  our  inade 
quate  proofs  of  the  law  of  Reincarnation  and 
Karma.  But  I  think  when  Maeterlinck  studies 
our  literature  a  little  more  deeply  his  regrets 
will  vanish." 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  were 
amazed  indeed. 

"Where  do  you  find  all  these  wonderful 
things?"  finally  asked  Mrs.  Lawson,  not  with 
out  a  half  sceptical  intonation  in  her  voice. 

"Our  literature  is  very  voluminous,"  was  the 
rejoinder.  "If  you  wish  I  will  select  one  or 
two  books.  What  I  would  recommend,  espec 
ially  to  Miss  De  Ruiz,  would  be  'Esoteric 
Christianity*  by  Annie  Besant.  A  proper 
understanding  of  Christianity  will  serve  as  a 
good  foundation  for  the  study  of  Theosophy. 
The  essays  of  Emerson  and  the  sermons  of 
Theodore  Parker  are  in  perfect  harmony  with 
our  teachings.  Oh,"  she  exclaimed  then,  as  if 
suddenly  she  had  an  illuminating  thought,  "did 
you  read  anything  of  Walt  Whitman  or  of 
Edward  Carpenter  or  Maurice  Bucke  or  of 
William  Norris  who  seemed  to  have  drunk 
deeply  at  the  fount  of  Walt  Whitman?" 

A  crimson  flush  passed  over  the  face  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz  when  the  name  of  William  Norris 
fell  from  the  lips  of  Miss  Lenz. 

"Why  do  you  mention  the  names  of  these 
authors?"  she  then  asked. 

"Because  these  writers,  although  not  belong 
ing  to  our  Society,  yet  expressing  thoughts  so 
completely  in  harmony  with  our  teachings, 
might  have  with  you  more  weight. 

"Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,  the  great- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          227 

est  thinkers  were  in  absolute  accord  with  the 
mental  world  reflected  through  the  Theosophi- 
cal  Society — Laotze,  Pythagoras,  Plato,  Bacon, 
Ruskin,  William  Blake;  Goethe,  Boehme,  Nova- 
lis;  Pascal,  Balzac,  Hugo, — these  men  not  only 
accepted  the  idea  of  reincarnation,  as  I  stated 
before,  but  the  entire  philosophy  which  neces 
sarily  goes  with  that  idea." 

"What  book  of  William  Norris  would  you 
recommend?"  asked  Alice  De  Ruiz. 

"His  article, 'The  Coming  Religion',  published 
recently  in  'Progress/  I  think  is  very  well 
written,"  declared  Miss  Lenz,  "but  before 
reading  anything  else  I  think  Annie  Besant's 
'Esoteric  Christianity'  should  first  be  studied. 
By  the  way,"  resumed  Miss  Lenz,  "did  you 
read  the  declaration  or  rather  profession  of 
faith,  made  by  Dr.  Eliot,  President  of  Har 
vard,  recently  published  in  all  the  papers?  The 
essential  features  of  this  declaration  are  in 
complete  accord  with  Theosophical  teaching." 

Noticing  a  look  of  surprise,  as  much  as  to 
say,  You  claim  everything,  Miss  Lenz  continu 
ed:  "Not  that  I  want  to  say  that  Eliot's  pre 
sentation  includes  all  of  our  Theosophy,  or  even 
an  integral  part,  but  that  his  main  point  is  in 
cluded  in  Theosophical  teaching,  such  as,  God 
unfolding  Himself  in  nature  through  higher 
and  higher  forms,  and  man's  growth  and  un- 
foldment  from  within;  the  expansion  of  the 
Spirit,  these  are  Theosophical  views  and  also 
President  Eliot's  views." 

"Things  seem  strange,  very  strange  indeed," 
remarked  Miss  De  Ruiz  musingly;  "what  I 
thought  stood  so  firm  seems  to  shake,  and  ideas 
which  would  have  seemed  absurd  a  fortnight 


228  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ago  now  seem  strangely  reasonable.  I  suppose 
it  is  true,  life  is  a  school  and  we  are  here  to 
learn." 

"It  is  the  mind,"  Miss  Lenz  resumed,  "the 
Manas  which  links  us  to  the  other  world  and  in 
which  our  likeness  and  kinship  with  God  con 
sists,  and  with  that  mind  we  are  told  by  St. 
Paul,  probe  everything,  examine  everything, 
hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 

"When  can  you  get  for  us  'Esoteric  Chris 
tianity'?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"I  have  one  copy  in  my  room." 

"We  had  better  have  two,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Lawson,  "one  for  myself  and  one  for  Miss  De 
Ruiz." 

"All  of  Mrs.  Besant's  books  are  in  the  lib 
rary,"  remarked  Miss  Lenz,  "but  I  can  buy 
them  at  the  Theosophical  Book  Concern  in  the 
Kensington  Building." 

"Can  you  get  there  all  the  other  books  of 
which  you  spoke  so  highly?"  asked  Mrs.  Law- 
son. 

"I  suppose  some  of  them,"  was  the  rejoin 
der. 

"Let  us  give  Miss  Lenz  one  thousand  dollars 
and  give  her  carte  blanche  for  the  completion 
of  our  library,"  suggested  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"One  thousand  dollars,"  exclaimed  Miss 
Lenz.  "My  repertory  of  books  will  hardly  suf 
fice  for  such  a  collection." 

"I  think  you  are  wrong  there,  my  dear,"  in 
terposed  Mrs.  Lawson  smilingly.  "I  feel  sure 
that  the  one  thousand  dollars  will  be  exhaust 
ed  before  your  repertory.  Things  soon  count 
up.  Good  books  well  bound  and  printed  cost 
money.  I  know  that  from  experience.  You  had 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          229 

better  get  for  us  'Esoteric  Christianity'  today 
and  tomorrow  take  a  day  off  for  the  purchase 
of  books." 

"Would  you  object  to  my  taking  Mr.  Heine 
along  with  me?"  asked  Miss  Lenz.  "His  range 
in  the  realm  of  literature  is  so  much  wider  than 
mine." 

"He  may  need  his  time  to  prepare  his  dis 
course  on  socialism,"  thought  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Little  preparation  he  will  need,"  was  the 
answer  given  quite  emphatically. 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  exchanged 
a  look  of  understanding  at  these  words  of  ad 
miration  for  Mr.  Heine. 

"As  it  seems  best  to  you;  you  have  carte 
blanche  and  you  can  pay  for  Mr.  Heine's  time 
out  of  the  alloted  sum,  but  remember  while  I 
make  no  special  pretenses  to  philanthrophy  I 
do  not  wish  to  be  considered  parsimonious  by 
Mr.  Heine." 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  again  ex 
changed  a  significant  look  which  this  time  was 
observed  by  Miss  Lenz.  An  embarrassed  look 
came  into  her  eyes.  Had  she  given  away  a 
secret  which  she  thought  locked  so  deeply  in 
her  innermost  heart,  and  which  she  hardly 
dared  to  avow,  even  to  herself?  But  she  quick 
ly  recovered  her  self-possession  and  her  fea 
tures  assumed  their  usual  serenity,  as  she  said : 
"I  will  go  and  get  'Esoteric  Christianity'." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    SOCIALISTIC    SIDE 

At  the  appointed  time  the  six  members  of 
the  symposium  found  themselves  again  assem 
bled  in  a  parlor  of  Boston's  most  fashionable 
hotel.  Their  faces  wore  a  serious  expression, 
a  careful  observer  could  easily  tell  that  they 
had  come  not  for  pastime  to  spend  a  few  plea 
sant  hours.  Their  aim  was  serious.  They 
wanted  light  to  guide  them  through  life  and  do 
the  best  for  themselves  and  their  fellow  men. 

When  Mr.  Heine  arose  to  address  his  audi 
ence  he  seemed  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  his  mission,  and  yet  he  was  free  from  env 
barrassment,  from  that  self-consciousness  so 
characteristic  in  a  novice  on  the  public  plat 
form.  The  eyes  of  Miss  Lenz  were  fixed  on  him 
with  an  eager  expectation  completely  free  from 
any  doubt  as  to  the  ability  of  the  speaker  to  ac 
quit  himself  honorably  of  the  task  assumed. 
Mr.  Heine  spoke  without  notes  as  follows : 

"I  think  we  all  have  listened  with  interest 
and  derived  a  good  deal  of  benefit  from  the  dis 
courses  already  delivered.  What  struck  me 
as  most  peculiar  was  the  fact  that  the  state 
ments  of  a  previous  speaker  were  never  im 
pugned  by  him  or  her  who  followed.  Each 
speaker  completed  the  picture  of  his  predeces- 
230 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          231 

sor.  To  the  glaring  sunshine  on  the  boulevard, 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Hugo,  Mr.  Swift  added  the 
dismal  shadows  of  the  slums.  To  the  snow 
covered  peaks  of  higher  philosophy  and  met 
aphysics  Miss  Lenz  brought  the  warm  rays  of 
the  sun  to  melt  the  snow  and  ice  which  makes 
the  ascent  to  these  peaks  accessible  only  to  a  few 
daring  and  privileged  souls.  Each  speaker  con 
tributed  a  part  to  a  picture  that  represents  a 
panorama  of  the  life  of  our  present  civiliza 
tion.  I  have  taken  as  my  task  to  combine  the 
parts  and  make  the  proper  deductions.  In 
making  them  I  would  like  you  to  keep  in  mind 
that  the  principles  upon  which  we  are  all  in  ac 
cord  are  the  securing  of  Liberty  and  Brother 
hood  for  the  human  race.  I  intend  first  of  all 
to  elaborate  and  complete  the  picture  given  by 
Hugo.  No  one  disputes  with  that  gentleman  the 
glorious  achievements  of  the  race  under  cap 
italism,  especially  in  things  material  and  mech 
anical,  but  socialism  differs  with  Mr.  Hugo  in 
his  contention  that  capitalism  furnishes  the 
best  basis  for  brotherhood  and  liberty.  In  its 
very  essence  capitalism  stands  for  competi 
tion  ;  for  the  struggle  of  man  with  man ;  for 
superiority  and  for  power.  Now  Mr.  Hugo 
maintains  that  competition  is  being  more  and 
more  eliminated.  This  is  true,  but  only  as  far 
as  it  concerns  the  capitalist.  There  we  see 
huge  combinations  called  corporations,  syndi 
cates  and  trusts,  but  among  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  the  struggle  for  existence,  often  for 
the  mere  possibilities  and  comforts  of  life,  is 
daily  becoming  more  intense  and  bitter.  If  Mr. 
Hugo  differs  from  me  I  will  tell  him  that  the 
degree  of  unemployment  is  my  barometer  of 


232  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

this  struggle.  I  could  illustrate  this  point 
from  my  own  personal  experiences  in  connec 
tion  with  the  competition  among  teachers,  but 
I  will  refrain.  I  will  call  attention  to  a  strange 
phenomenon  on  this  subject  of  competition. 
While  Mr.  Hugo  points  out  with  pride  the  les 
sening  of  competition  he  uses  such  bitter  words 
towards  labor  unions  whose  chief  aim  is  to  do 
for  their  members  what  Mr.  Hugo  glorifies  in 
the  capitalists;  that  the  very  nature  of  capital 
istic  production  precludes  the  possibility  of  the 
toilers  accomplishing  their  object  should  not 
detract  from  the  merit  of  the  endeavor.  The 
reserve  army  of  unemployed  is  as  essential  for 
production  under  capitalism  as  the  army  of  the 
workers  themselves.  If  every  man  could  get 
work  when  he  wanted  how  long  would  the  cap 
italist  remain  the  absolute  sovereign  in  shop 
and  factory?  The  lash  of  hunger  alone  holds 
the  toiler  to  his  task  even  under  a  despised  and 
hated  master.  Competition  among  the  laborers 
for  jobs  is  essential  to  the  domain  of  capital 
and  capitalists;  and  this  is  the  main  reason 
even  if  not  acknowledged  or  understood  why 
the  Employer's  Association,  with  Mr.  Hugo  as 
President,  fights  the  labor  unions. 

"Now  Mr.  Hugo  himself  admits  that  compe 
tition  is  an  obstacle  to  Brotherhood.  Social 
ism  showing  that  capitalism  is  built  upon  this 
obstacle  proves  that  capitalism  is  inimical  to 
Brotherhood.  The  case  of  capitalism  vs.  social 
ism  as  a  basis  for  Brotherhood  might  rest  right 
here,  but  I  will  illumine  still  further  the  capital 
istic  picture.  I  would  like  to  raise  the  question : 
Is  Brotherhood  possible  between  a  master  and 
his  servant?  One  of  the  world's  greatest  think- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          233 

ers  declared  that  friendship  is  only  possible 
among  equals.  But  why  indulge  in  idle  fancies 
or  mental  speculations  when  everyday  life  fur 
nishes  us  with  indisputable  facts.  Let  me  ask 
Mr.  Hugo  if  there  exists,  I  will  not  say 
Brotherhood,  I  will  not  even  say  friendship,  I 
will  only  say  social  intercourse  between  him 
self  and  his  employees.  I  know  he  will  say, 
'Of  course  not ;  employees  themselves  would 
not  wrant  to  meet  me  outside  of  business  hours/ 
I  dare  say  he  is  right;  I  even  think  they  will 
be  pleased  when  he  is  absent  from  his  office 
during  business  hours.  They  might  perform 
their  functions  just  as  conscientiously  in  his 
absence,  but  man  is  so  constituted  that  as  a 
rule  he  does  not  like  the  eye  of  a  master,  of  a 
superior  to  rest  upon  him  too  long  or  too  often. 
"Do  I  hear  Mr.  Hugo  say  that  the  relation 
of  master  and  servant  is  not  the  only,  not  even 
the  main  reason  for  lack  of  Brotherhood  or 
friendship,  or  social  intercourse  between  hin> 
self  and  his  employees;  that  the  difference  in 
their  mental  development,  their  difference  in 
tastes  and  aspirations  preclude  mutual  enjoy 
ment  and  therefore  the  desire  for  such  an  in 
tercourse?  This  is  correct,  and  I  will  return 
to  this  side  of  the  question  when  I  approach 
the  metaphysical  mountain  peaks.  But  I  think 
Mr.  Hugo  forgets  another  important  factor  of 
separation,  and  that  is,  the  difference  of  inter 
est  between  employer  and  employee.  The  em 
ployer's  interest  demands  small  wages  and  long 
hours  while  the  employee  asks  for  big  wages  and 
short  hours;  but  I  hold  that  it  is  not  only  the  dis 
tance  from  their  respective  habitations,  not  the 
difference  in  material  environment  or  social 


234  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

standing  nor  the  difference  between  mental  and 
spiritual  development  nor  even  the  difference  of 
interest  that  constitutes  a  barrier  to  friendship 
and  Brotherhood  and  even  social  intercourse, 
but  that  the  very  relation  of  employer  and  em 
ployee  is  inimical  to  the  establishment  of  har 
monious  relations.  I  could  substantiate  this  as 
sertion  by  many  personal  observations,  but  I 
will  only  cite  one  case,  that  of  a  personal  friend 
of  mine,  the  son  of  one  of  America's  best  ar 
chitects,  a  scholar  himself,  who,  when  after 
financial  reverses  he  asked  a  friend,  the  head  of 
a  big  establishment  for  employment,  was  told 
that  his  services  would  undoubtedly  prove  very 
valuable  to  the  firm  as  an  employee  but  that  on 
the  day  of  entering  the  establishment  social  re 
lations  between  themselves  and  their  families 
would  have  to  cease.  But  here  again  I  might 
ask,  why  try  to  demonstrate  what  lies  so  plain 
ly  before  our  eyes?  Capitalism  must  be  given 
the  credit  of  having  abolished  national  bound 
aries,  commercially,  and  socially,  but  only  for 
the  upper  strata;  a  small  very  small  group  of 
society.  There  is  today  more  intercourse  between 
Fifth  Avenue  of  New  York  and  Bois  de  Boul 
ogne  of  Paris  than  between  Fifth  Avenue  and 
Houston  Street  or  between  Commonwealth 
Avenue  of  Boston,  and  Unter  den  Linden  of 
Berlin,  than  between  the  Back  Bay  and  South 
Boston.  Now,  Mr.  Hugo  while  admitting  the 
actual  undesirable  condition,  will  contend  that 
there  is  a  gradual  improvement,  that  the  separa 
tion  between  man  and  man  is  growing  less  wide. 
He  declared  in  his  address  among  other  things, 
that  the  circle  of  blessings  showered  by  capital 
ism  upon  humanity  is  widening.  Let  me 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          235 

say  here  that  upon  this  pivot  hinges  the  main 
issue  between  Socialism  and  Capitalism.  Let 
us  examine  his  statement.  Does  he  mean  that 
economic  opportunities  are  improving  for  the 
individual,  that  it  is  easier  for  an  employee  to 
become  an  employer  or  a  capitalist?  Does  he 
mean  that  the  difference  in  the  possession  of 
wealth  by  individuals  is  getting  less,  or  does  he 
mean  that  the  masses  participate  more  and 
more  in  the  glorious  achievement  of  capital 
ism?  Mr.  Hugo  cannot  mean  the  first  contin 
gency,  for  statistics,  governmental  statistics, 
both  here  and  in  Europe  show  most  conclu 
sively  that  it  is  getting  increasingly  difficult  for 
small  establishments  to  hold  their  own,  that  the 
number  of  independent  business  men  is  an 
nually  decreasing  and  that  more  and  more  cap 
ital  is  required  for  any  independent  business 
undertaking.  That  under  such  conditions  the 
chances  of  a  wage-earner  to  become  a  capital 
ist  or  empoyer  are  growing  less,  needs  no 
mathematical  demonstration. 

"Let  us  consider  now  the  supposition  that 
the  difference  between  rich  and  poor  is  getting 
less.  To  show  the  error  of  this  hypothesis  we 
might  have  recourse  to  a  method  of  demon 
stration  used  in  geometry  and  called  the  re- 
ductio  ad  absurdum,  or  I  might  quote  from 
official  statistics,  our  annual  increase  of  mil 
lionaires  and  their  relative  share  in  the  coun 
try's  wealth  and  prove  that  the  appearance  of 
every  new  millionaire  has  as  its  necessary  cor 
ollary  the  creation  of  hundreds  or  thousands 
of  proletarians ;  but  I  will  not  trouble  you  with 
abstract  mathematics  nor  do  I  think  I  need  men 
tion  the  fact  that  one  tenth  of  the  population 


236  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

in  the  U.  S.  own  and  control  three-fourths  of 
the  country's  wealth,  or  give  the  information 
that  over  one  half  of  our  people  are  without 
property  of  any  kind,  that  in  our  large  cities 
not  one  family  in  ten  owns  his  own  home. 

"In  this  connection  I  want  to  point  out  only 
one  picture,  make  only  one  comparison.  Let 
us  look  at  the  condition  of  this  our  own  coun 
try  about  one  hundred  years  ago.  What  was 
the  difference  between  rich  and  poor  then?  was 
it  easier  or  more  difficult  to  make  a  living?  Were 
there  more  or  fewer  opportunities  for  individ 
ual  enterprise  or  initiative?  To  put  the  ques 
tion  is  to  answer  it.  When  the  assertion  is 
made,  that  capitalism  brings  closer  together 
the  members  of  society  it  ought  to  provoke  a 
smile.  To  prove  the  contrary,  I  do  not  wish  to 
make  a  comparison  between  the  United  States, 
capitalistically  the  most  developed  country  and 
a  half  or  semi-civilized  nation,  I  would  be  will 
ing  to  allow  a  comparison  between  this  country 
and  India,  capitalistically  the  most  backward, 
with  its  much  decried  caste  system  that  presents 
an  insurmountable  obstacle  to  social  inter 
course.  I  declare  from  personal  observation, 
and  you  will  find  my  assertion  affirmed  by 
other  travellers,  that  the  separation  in  this 
country,  the  gulf  between  rich  and  poor,  be 
tween  millionaire  and  pauper  is  greater  than 
between  Brahmin  and  Pariah. 

"The  blessings  of  capitalism  cost  money,  the 
average  earnings  of  a  wage-worker  in  the 
United  States  is  ten  dollars  a  week.  How  many 
blessings  can  a  man  procure  with  that  sum  for 
himself  and  family.  But  wages  are  rising! 
But  the  cost  of  living  is  rising  in  even  a  greater 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          237 

ratio,  even  a  high  Catholic  Church  dignitary 
recently  deplored  and  protested  against  the  rise 
of  prices  as  disproportioned  to  the  rise  in 
wages.  No,  Mr.  Hugo,  the  circle  of  the  bless 
ings  showered  by  capitalism  upon  humanity  is 
not  only  not  widening  but  is  even  contracting 
like  the  famous  peau  de  chargin  of  Honore  de 
Balzac. 

"Let  us  examine  now  briefly  the  contention 
that  capitalism  furnishes  the  best  basis  for  lib 
erty.  Is  it  not  a  mockery  and  self-deception  to 
apply  the  word  liberty  to  the  life  of  a  modern 
wage-earner,  of  a  man  dependent  upon  an 
other  man's  good  will  for  making  a  living,  for 
life  itself?  And  the  proportion  of  dependents, 
of  wage-earners'  statistics  show  is  continually 
increasing,  must  increase  of  necessity,  as  cap 
italism  develops  and  extends  its  rule.  But 
have  we  not  many  high  salaried  employees  and 
officials  who  share  abundantly  in  the  blessings 
of  capitalism?  We  undoubtedly  have,  but  I 
maintain  that  the  uncertainties  of  office  and  of 
employment  more  than  offset  the  benefits  of 
these  blessings.  Uncertainty  of  employment, 
the  danger  of  losing  a  job  or  a  position  means 
worry  and  worry  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  evils. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  the  short 
ening  of  man's  life.  Economic  security,  insur 
ance  companies  have  found  out,  is  conducive 
to  length  of  life. 

In  short,  liberty  under  capitalism  depends 
upon  property  and  as  the  very  nature  of  capital 
ism  demands,  and  in  fact  creates  an  ever  in 
creasing  number  of  proletarians,  that  is,  people 
without  property,  capitalism  cannot  furnish  a 
basis  for  liberty.  You  yourself,  Mr.  Hugo 


238  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

would  scorn  the  liberty  of  the  modern  wage- 
earner.  I  would  like  to  ask  here  a  question  of 
the  champion  of  Capitalism."  Mr.  Heine  stop 
ped  speaking,  looking  at  Mr.  Hugo. 

"I  will  try  to  answer,"  remarked  that  per 
sonage. 

"All  right,"  remarked  Mr.  Heine,  and  then 
continued.  "Whose  position  would  you  pre 
fer,  that  of  a  farmer  in  Kansas  or  Oklahoma 
owning  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  his  nearest 
neighbor  living  at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles, 
or  that  of  a  Boston  or  New  York  factory 
worker  working  ten  hours  a  day  for  fifteen 
dollars  a  week? 

"I  would  sooner  be  the  farmer,  but  we  can 
not  all  have  a  hundred  acres  of  land." 

"No,  not  at  present,  under  capitalism,  but  a 
hundred  years  ago,  before  the  regime  of  cap 
italism,  any  one  could  have  had  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  and  he  could  have  today,  or  much 
more  than  its  equivalent  under  equitable  con 
ditions.  But  I  only  asked  the  question  to  show 
the  advantage  under  Capitalism  for  a  wage- 
earner  compared  with  the  most  unfavorable 
conditions  before  the  blessings  of  Capitalism 
had  descended  upon  humanity." 

"But  you  put  forward  the  worst  condition  of 
today,"  remarked  Mr.  Hugo. 

"How  is  that?"  replied  Mr.  Heine.  "Fifteen 
dollars  a  week  is  above  the  average  wage,  and 
a  hundred  acres  of  land  is  below  what  was  at 
the  disposal  of  every  citizen  of  this  country. 
Another  question  then,"  continued  Mr.  Heine. 
"Whose  position  would  you  prefer,  that  of  an 
Arab  in  the  desert,  an  Eskimo  in  Lapland  or 
Alaska,  or  that  of  a  factory  worker  or  a  miner. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          239 

You  hesitate  to  answer,  Mr.  Hugo,  and  why? 
Is  it  not  because  the  degree  of  personal  liberty, 
of  individual  opportunity  is  greater  for  the 
Arab  and  the  Eskimo?  for  the  blessings  of 
Capitalism,  while  microscopic  for  the  factory 
worker,  are  absolutely  non-existent  for  Eskimo 
or  Arab." 

"May  I  say  something?"  interposed  here 
Miss  Winslow.  "I  would  not  have  interupted 
the  line  of  argument  had  not  Mr.  Heine  asked 
some  questions  of  Mr.  Hugo.  I  think  there 
ought  to  be  a  supplement  to  his  answer." 

"All  right,  your  supplement  is  welcome  in 
deed,"  declared  Mr.  Heine. 

"These  men,  these  wage-earners,"  asserted 
Miss  Winslow,  "of  whom  you  speak  with  so 
much  sympathy,  would  not  exchange  places 
with  farmer,  Arab  or  Esquimo.  They  are  fitted 
for  and  satisfied  with  their  conditions  of  life." 

"I  am  very  much  pleased,"  continued  Mr. 
Heine,  "with  your  kind  interruption,  for  I 
think  I  am  through,  or  ought  to  be  through 
with  Capitalism,  and  this  gives  me  a  chance  to 
reach  the  metaphysical  mountain  peaks.  The  as 
sertion  of  the  champion  of  Metaphysics 
amounts  to  this,  that  the  factory  workers  or 
our  own  common  laborers  are  not  fitted  for  a 
life  of  liberty  or  what  she  would  call  the  high 
er  life  of  more  advanced  souls.  I  have  heard 
a  similar  assertion  before  with  the  statement 
that  the  majority  of  the  people  are  all  stomach. 
Let  me  give  here  the  answer  to  this  view-point 
made  by  a  countryman  of  Miss  Winslow,  a 
comrade  of  mine:  'You  then  declare  that  these 
people  cannot  appreciate  the  poet's  thoughts 
poured  out  in  song,  not  the  work  of  the  paint- 


240  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

er's  genius,  not  the  sweet  low  note  of  music 
that  sinks  into  the  heart:  You  maintain  that 
the  beauty  of  this  great  world  of  God  and  all 
that  in  it  speaks  to  what  is  good  and  noble  is 
closed  to  the  minds  of  these  people,  that  they 
cannot  appreciate  the  rugged  grandeur  of  the 
mountain  cloud  cleaving,  the  quiet  calm  of  the 
low  lying  plain  and  valley,  the  splendor  of  the 
setting  sun,  the  green  of  the  sloping  meadows 
on  which  the  sunbeams  play,  the  purr  of  the 
tiny  streamlet,  the  rush  of  mighty  rivers,  the 
dash  of  ocean  billows  against  the  ocean  cliff. 
You  are  wrong  here,  O  champion  of  meta 
physics.  I  know  people  in  the  humblest  walks 
of  life  who  do  enjoy  those  things.  Seldom, 
only  too  seldom,  it  is  true,  but  that  is  not  their 
fault,  but  you,  together  with  other  supporters 
of  the  present  system  have  robbed,  and  are 
robbing  of  these  enjoyments,  many,  only  too 
many. 

"And  then  what  would  you  expect  of  people 
toiling  and  struggling  amidst  surroundings  most 
degrading,  weary  and  worn  out  with  the  never 
ceasing  fight  for  bread,  glad  when  one  day's 
work  slavish  and  soul-less  now  is  done.  What 
time  have  they,  what  care  for  aught  else,  but  to 
have  their  animal  wants  satisfied,  and  having 
that  as  best  they  may  be  content.  It  is  a  lucky 
thing  for  the  millionaire  and  his  advocates  that 
such  is  the  case;  for  this  soul-less  life  of  the 
man  in  the  abyss  and  his  desire  for  alcohol  con 
stitute  the  main  protection  of  those  who  walk 
on  the  heights  of  life  and  enjoy  the  grand  views 
from  the  metaphysical  mountain  peaks.  The 
answer  to  your  position,  O  champion  of  meta 
physics,  was  given  by  Miss  Lenz,  or  rather  by 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          241 

Edwin  Markham  in  his  poem,  'The  Man  With 

The  Hoe.'     I  want  to  add  here  another  poem 

which  was  written  especially  for  the  benefit  of 

metaphysicians. 

"  'He  who  ascends  the  mountain  tops  shall  find 

The    loftiest    peaks    wrapped    in    cloud    and 

snow, 
He  who  surpasses  or  subdues  mankind 

Must  look  down  on  the  hate  of  those  below ; 
Though  high  above  the  sun  of  glory  glow 

And  far  beneath  the  earth  and  ocean  spread 
Round  him  are  icy  rocks  and  loudly  blow 

Contending  tempests  on  his  naked  head 
And    thus    reward    the     toil     to     which     these 
summits  led.' 

"Now  just  a  few  words  in  reply  to  the  cham 
pion  of  Anarchy.  You  must  have  seen  that 
Socialism  and  Anarchy  agree  in  their  judg 
ment  of  Capitalism,  but  after  that  they  part 
company.  The  very  word  Anarchy  means  "no 
law",  while  Socialism  first  of  all  stands  for  law 
and  order,  for  system  and  organization.  I 
agree  with  Mr.  Swift  that  many  laws  will  be 
come  superfluous  with  the  end  of  the  rule  of 
Capitalism.  I  am  in  fact  pleased  to  think  that 
as  mankind  advances  in  civilization  less  res 
trictions  and  less  guidance  will  be  necessary 
and  that  when  all  men  will  have  sufficiently  ad 
vanced  to  recognize  the  fact  that  to  be  happy 
man  must  be  good,  then  our  penal  code  will  have 
become  a  useless  relic,  but  that  time  is  far,  very 
far  removed,  and  mankind  will  have  to  pass 
through  many  intermediate  stages  before  that 
happy  period  will  be  reached.  The  Anarchist 
loves  to  dwell  upon  nature;  he  likes  to  cite  in 
favor  of  his  position  his  so-called  natural  laws, 


242  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

but  if  the  Anarchist  will  examine  this  universe 
with  the  mind  open  and  free  from  bias  he  will 
find  as  nature's  first  principle  order  and 
harmony. 

"If  I  had  time  I  would  elaborate  a  little  fur 
ther  the  picture  presented  by  Anarchy's  dex 
trous  champion,  but  Capitalism,  as  is  its  nature, 
has  already  appropriated  the  lion's  share,  even 
of  a  poor  speaker's  time. 

"The  time  has  come  to  give  an  answer  to  the 
position  taken  by  the  eloquent  champion  of 
Theosophy,  and  here  I  wish  to  declare  on  the 
outset  that  I  myself  am  a  member  of  the  Theo- 
sophical  society.  Individual  Socialists  might 
not  like  the  philosophical  conceptions  of  Theo 
sophy.  They  might  object  to  the  theory  of  Re 
incarnation  and  Karma,  but  so  might  Republi 
cans  or  Democrats.  As  Socialists,  they  have 
no  quarrel  with  any  system  of  philosophy  or 
religion.  The  Theosophical  Society  makes  the 
only  condition  for  membership  the  acceptance 
of  the  idea  of  Brotherhood.  Socialism,  having 
the  same  aim,  certainly  can  have  no  fault  to 
find  with  that.  The  fault  which  I  find  with  in 
dividual  members  of  the  Society  is  that  they 
placidly  accept  the  idea  of  Brotherhood  as  a 
theory,  but  do  nothing  towards  establishing 
conditions  for  the  realization  of  that  ideal. 
Socialists  might  find  fault  with  Theosophists 
for  busying  themselves  too  much  about  the 
conditions  in  the  Astral  plane  or  in  Devachan 
at  the  expense  of  their  knowledge  of  the  phy 
sical  plane  on  which  we  live  today.  Socialism 
has  no  fault  to  find  with  Theosophy,  it  only 
finds  fault  with  those  members  who,  in  con 
templating  the  heavens,  forget  all  about  earth. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          243 

And  I  maintain  that  those  who  do  are  not  true 
to  the  principles  proclaimed  by  their,  or  as  I 
might  say  our  Masters. 

"Gautama  Buddah's  chief  mission  in  his 
earthly  life  was  to  break  down  the  caste  system 
which  he  recognized  as  inimical  to  progress. 
Christ's  teaching  may  be  summed  up  in  his 
own  words,  'Love  one  another/  and  how  he 
wanted  to  have  that  love  understood  and  appli 
ed  may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  He  and  His 
Apostles  had  a  common  purse  and  that  the 
early  Christian  communities  had  all  their  goods 
in  common.  Our  Catholic  Convents  and  Mon 
asteries  of  today  are  a  monument  and  bear  wit 
ness  to  the  economic  teachings  of  the  Christ, 
even  if  we  fail  to  consider,  or  try  to  explain 
away  the  parable  of  Dives  and  Lazarus  and  of 
the  rich  young  man.  The  law,  or  the  theory 
of  Karma  might  be  made  to  perform  the  same 
service  as  the  metaphysician's  Quidquid  est 
bonum  est,  but  just  as  I  say  to  the  latter,  there 
is  a  melius  and  an  optimum,  so  I  will  say  to 
Theosophists,  Reincarnation  with  Karma 
means  progress,  means  experience  in  matter 
for  higher  and  higher  unfoldment,  and  it  is 
man's  duty  to  co-operate  in  harmony  with  the 
laws  of  nature;  to  provide  mankind  with  the 
best  basis  for  that  evolution  of  matter  and  in 
volution  of  mind  or  spirit.  Ignorant  accept 
ance  of  Karma  leads  to  stagnation  mental  and 
spiritual,  as  is  seen  in  China  and  other  Eastern 
countries,  and  then  I  think  some  Theosophists 
cling  too  much  to  the  injunctions  of  Krishna 
given  in  a  different  age.  They  seem  to  forget 
that  changed  condtions  demand  a  different  ap 
plication  of  the  Master's  words,  that  the  laws 


244  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

of  Moses  needed  the  amendments  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Annie  Besant,  in  the  lecture  given 
in  Boston,  declared  that  co-operation  will  be 
the  basis  of  a  future  civilization.  Co-operation 
in  my  mind  is  only  a  different  word  for  Social 
ism.  Socialists  love  to  speak  of  their  ideal 
Society  as  the  co-operative  commonwealth. 

"Now  just  a  few  words  about  theoretical 
Socialism  and  the  aims  of  Socialists.  And  I 
think  it  is  necessary  to  start  with  the  negative 
side.  Socialism  does  not  mean  a  great  divid 
ing  up ;  it  does  not  mean  that  everybody  should 
be  made  equal.  It  declares  that  the  bounties  of 
nature  and  the  achievements  of  the  race  in  this 
and  past  civilizations  shall  be  common  inherit- 
ences  of  all  children  of  man.  It  wants  to  pro 
vide  for  every  man  the  best  means  for  his  de 
velopment,  for  his  mental  and  his  spiritual  pro 
gress.  The  justice  of  the  Socialists'  ideal  has 
been  recognized  in  all  the  ages  and  by  all  the 
sages.  But  here  the  question  might  be  put, 
'Why  was  this  ideal  never  realized?'  The  an 
swer  to  this  question  was  given  by  one 
of  America's  best  men  and  one  of  her  greatest 
thinkers,  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  when  he 
writes :  'All  thinkers  of  good  will  to  man  have 
endorsed  the  idea  of  co-operative  labor  for  all, 
but  there  is  one  objection;  nature  is  so  nig 
gardly,  our  means  of  production  are  so  crude 
that  if  all  would  have  to  work  the  hours  of 
labor  for  all  would  be  so  long  that  a  favored 
few  would  not  have  sufficient  time  to  devote 
themselves  to  literary  work  and  thus  ad 
vance  the  civilization  of  the  human  race.  This 
objection  of  Emerson  held  good  in  all  times 
gone  by  and  it  still  held  good  at  the  period  when 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          245 

Emerson  wrote  and  preached,  but  what  was  an 
objection  in  Emerson's  time  against  co-opera 
tive  labor  has  today  become  the  strongest  ar 
gument  in  its  favor,  for  our  means  of  produc 
tion  can  no  longer  be  considered  crude  nor  can 
nature  be  accused  of  niggardliness.  The  pro 
ductivity  of  man's  labor  has  increased  twelve 
fold,  according  to  Ernest  Crosby,  and  if  all 
would  today  contribute  their  share  towards  the 
world's  work  two  or  three  hours  would  suffice 
to  provide  mankind,  not  only  with  all  the  nec 
essities  but  with  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and 
then  we  would  no  longer  hear  the  heartrending 
cry  which  Gray  expressed  so  eloquently  in  his 
'Elegy/ 

'  'Full  many  a  gem  of  purest  ray  serene 
The  dark  unfathomed  caves  of  ocean  bear, 

Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air.' 

"Or  in  another  place, 

'Some  mute  inglorious  Milton  here  might  rest, 
Some     Cromwell     guiltless     of     his     country's 
blood/ 

"I  maintain  that  co-operation  or  Socialism 
would  soon  tear  down  the  walls  which  separate 
man  from  man,  nation  from  nation  and  race 
from  race,  that  with  its  inauguration  strife  and 
discord,  hate  and  war  would  come  to  an  end 
and  peace  and  harmony  would  prevail  upon 
earth." 

Mr.  Heine  paused,  he  seemed  to  think  of 
something  when  his  eyes  met  those  of  Miss 
Lenz,  he  then  continued. 

"As  I  looked  just  now  at  the  champion  of 
Theosophy  I  think  I  encountered  a  reproach : 
you  have  not  given  the  main,  the  essential  dif- 


246  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ference  between  a  Theosophist  and  a  Socialist. 
I  plead  guilty.  I  must  be  short  and  state  this 
essential  difference  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 
Theosophists  want  to  reform  the  world  from 
above  and  Socialists  from  below.  Theosophists 
want  to  appeal  to  the  conscience,  to  the  spirit 
of  goodness  in  man,  to  rulers,  to  politi 
cians  and  captains  of  industry.  Theosophy 
builds  great  hopes  upon  the  acceptance  of  the 
theory  of  Reincarnation  and  Karma.  Socialism 
says :  Love's  labor  lost.  It  points  to  the  lessons 
of  history  which  shows  that  the  privileged 
classes  have  never  yet  voluntarily  surrendered 
their  advantages.  They  point  out  that  reform 
had  always  to  be  secured  through  the  demand 
and  uprising  of  the  oppressed.  The  relations 
between  patrician  and  plebeian  offered  the 
most  striking  example  in  this  respect.  They 
gave  mankind  the  first  example  of  successful 
strikes  and  boycots.  The  French  revolution 
furnishes  another  arrow  to  the  Socialist  quiver. 
How  tenaciously  did  king,  noble  and  clergy 
man  cling  to  their  privileges  to  personal  and 
class  interest.  The  principle  of  force  rules 
supreme.  The  unquestioned  acceptance  of 
Reincarnation  and  Karma  did  not  prevent  the 
establishment  of  a  caste  system  which  even 
the  great  Gautama  failed  to  overthrow. 
Socialism  makes  its  appeal  to  the  masses  to 
those  suffering  and  oppressed  by  existing  con 
ditions.  It  appeals  especially  to  the  working 
class  and  cries  aloud:  arise,  get  up  from  your 
knees,  proclaim  yourself  the  equal  of  your  fel- 
ow  and  assert  your  right.  I  as  a  member  of  the 
Socialist  party  join  in  the  cry  to  the  worker  to 
proclaim  his  manhood  and  as  a  member  of  the 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          247 

Theosophical  Society  I  join  in  the  appeal  to  the 
conscience,  to  the  moral  sense  of  the  rulers  of 
the  earth  to  fulfil  their  duties  towards  the 
race/' 

When  Mr.  Heine  resumed  his  seat  with  a 
graceful  bow,  a  smile  of  approbation  greeted 
him  from  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz. 
Miss  Lenz  extended  her  hand  as  a  sign  of  sat 
isfaction  with  the  feat  of  the  champion  of 
Socialism.  As  Mr.  Heine  took  that  little  hand 
and  felt  its  soft  pressure  a  strange  light  came 
into  his  eyes  and  a  happy  glow  illumined  his 
usually  so  pensive  and  melancholy  features. 
Mr.  Heine  and  Miss  Lenz  were  true  altruists; 
considerations  for  the  welfare  of  the  race  re 
ceived  their  first  attention,  yet  as  their  embrace 
of  the  eyes  occurred  and  revealed  the  kinship  of 
their  souls,  the  whole  world  seemed  forgotten. 

Plato  over  two  thousand  years  ago  placed  the 
rights  of  the  state  or  society  above  individual 
considerations;  but  as  man  was  then  and  is 
today  he  will  find  his  happiness  and  a  basis  for 
intellectual  ascent  in  the  union  with  a  soul  that 
will  complete  his  own.  The  individual  pecu 
liarities,  rights  and  duties,  are  not  yet  fully 
recognized  and  appreciated  by  Socialists  and 
other  reformers. 

The  mutual  recognition  of  Mr.  Heine  and 
Miss  Lenz  had  lasted  but  a  moment  and  was 
only  recognized  by  Miss  De  Ruiz  to  whom  it 
gave  a  feeling  of  contentment,  reminding  her 
of  a  time,  on  which  she  began  to  dwell  with  a 
yearning  that  was  the  stronger  because  she 
thought  it  hopeless. 

Mr.  Swift  broke  the  thoughtful  spell  with 
the  declaration  that  Mr.  Heine  had  had  a  great 


248  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

advantage   over  all   others   in   having   been   the 
last  speaker. 

"And  took  an  unfair  advantage  of  Meta 
physicians,  for  our  standpoint  was  not  only 
unfairly,  but  what  seemed  to  me  maliciously 
criticised  and  interpreted,"  declared  Miss  Wins- 
low. 

"Not  maliciously,"  answered  Mr.  Heine  in  a 
tone  of  deep  sincerity.  "I  might  have  stretched 
a  point  in  the  heat  of  the  argument,  but  my 
only  endeavor  was,  and  still  is,  the  recognition 
of  the  right  and  best  road  for  the  progress  of 
the  race.  And  this  gives  me  a  suggestion.  I 
feel  sure  that  this  syposium  has  furnished  food 
for  thought  for  all  of  us,  and  I  think  has  con 
tributed  to  a  better  understanding  of  each 
other's  standpoint.  But  there  are  many  things 
that  cannot  be  said  in  a  short  address,  nor 
fully  understood  in  a  few  hours  or  even  days. 
Why  not  continue  along  the  present  line  of 
procedure?" 

He  paused,  and  Mrs.  Lawson  voiced  the 
question  in  the  eyes  of  the  others  by  saying 
"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Heine?" 

"Well,"  answered  this  gentleman,  "I  do  not 
believe  in  sudden  conversions  or  quick 
changes  of  mind.  We  have  to  grow  into  and 
out  of  a  certain  line  of  thought.  Why  not  have 
each  of  the  champions  select  two  books 
that  would  best  set  forth  their  creed  for  the 
others  to  read  and  consider,  then  the  respec 
tive  ideas  could  be  reflected  upon  in  full  leisure 
and  deliberation,  and  we  might  meet  again 
after  one,  two  or  three  months  to  exchange 
results." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          249 

"Plato,  thou  reasonest  well,"  here  remarked 
Mr.  Swift  with  a  slight  touch  of  sarcasm. 

"The  idea  seems  a  fair  one,"  declared  Mrs. 
Lawson,  looking  first  at  her  guests  and  then  at 
Miss  De  Ruiz.  The  latter  nodded  approving 
ly. 

"This  gives  Metaphysics  a  much  needed  op 
portunity  for  rehabilitation,"  declared  Miss 
Winslow. 

"To  the  need  of  it  I  fully  agree,"  put  in  Mr. 
Swift,  with  a  slightly  malicious  smile. 

"I  don't  think  that  Anarchy  has  fared  any 
too  well  in  this  symposium,"  replied  Miss  Wins- 
low. 

"Anarchy  can  wait;  to  it  belongs  the  future, 
for  even  the  champior*  of  Socialism  predicted 
that  Anarchy's  reign  would  come  when  man 
kind  would  be  more  highly  evolved,"  answered 
Mr.  Swift  in  a  half  serious  and  half  mocking 
tone  of  voice. 

"This  statement  of  yours  needs  to  be  quali 
fied,"  interposed  Mr.  Heine.  "I  might  say 
here,  'distinquo'  or  rather  'nego  factuni'." 

"No  Latin,  no  Greek,  gentlemen,"  interposed 
Mrs.  Lawson,  "English  is  difficult  enough 
sometimes.  Let  us  decide  upon  the  suggestion 
made  by  Mr.  Heine  concerning  the  selection 
of  books." 

"I  move  then,"  spoke  up  Mr.  Heine,  with 
quite  a  parliamentary  tone  of  voice  and  atti 
tude,  "that  each  champion  select  two  standard 
books  of  his  or  her  faith  for  the  others  to  read 
and  that  another  meeting  be  held  three  months 
from  today." 

"But  will  all  of  us  be  in  Boston  at  that 
time?"  asked  Mr.  Hugo. 


250  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"If  not,  we  might  agree  later  upon  a  con 
venient  date  and  meeting  place,"  remarked  Mr. 
Swift. 

"Question  then,"  here  put  in  Mr.  Heine. 

"Who  is  your  chairman  of  the  meeting?" 
smilingly  asked  Mr.  Hugo,  looking  at  Mr. 
Heine.  Mr.  Heine  seemed  puzzled. 

"I  will  help  you  out,"  here  declared  Mr. 
Hugo.  "The  question  before  the  house  is: 
Who  is  in  favor  of  selecting  two  books  on  each 
subject  discussed  and  another  meeting  to  be 
held  three  months  from  date.  All  in  favor  say 
aye."  There  was  a  fair  response.  "Those  op- 
posd,  no."  There  was  no  sound.  "Carried 
unanimously,  then,"  declared  Mr.  Hugo.  "Now 
remains  the  books  to  be  chosen." 

"Let  us  follow  the  order  of  speakers  at  sym 
posium  in  the  selection  of  books,"  remarked 
Mr.  Heine. 

"Do  you  make  this  a  motion?"  asked  Mr. 
Hugo. 

"Parlimentary  forms  take  too  much  time," 
interposed  Mr.  Swift. 

"True  to  principle,  anti-parlimentairian  to 
the  end,"  said  Mr.  Heine,  laughing. 

"I  think  some  of  the  champions  ought  to  be 
called  to  order,"  declared  Miss  Winslow. 
"They  are  delaying  the  meeting  with  unneces 
sary  banterings." 

"Miss  Winslow's  point  is  well  taken,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Lawson.  "The  waiters  in  the  other 
room  are  waiting.  Let  us  be  attentive  and 
serious  as  the  cause  at  stake  demands.  You 
were  first  speaker,  Mr.  Hugo,  you  select  your 
books  first." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          251 

"I  would  rather  be  last  this  time.  Why  not 
reverse  the  order  of  symposium  in  accordance 
with  the  dictum  that  the  last  shall  be  first  and 
the  first  shall  be  last;  the  last  in  our  case,  con 
trary  to  general  usage,  has  a  slight  advantage 
over  the  others." 

"The  idea  seems  just/*  remarked  Mrs.  Law- 
son.  "Turn  about  is  fair  play/*  and  she  looked 
at  Mr.  Heine. 

"I  am  satisfied/'  said  the  latter,  "and  give 
as  my  two  books,  'Looking  Backward'  and 
'Equality'  by  Edward  Bellamy." 

"Poor  Carl  Marx,"  murmured  Mr.  Swift 
half  aloud  to  Mr.  Heine. 

"We  are  in  America  and  not  in  Germany," 
answered  the  latter  gentleman. 

"You  are  next,  Miss  Lenz,"  said  Mrs.  Law- 
son. 

Miss  Lenz  reflected  for  a  few  seconds  and 
then  gave  as  her  choice  "Ancient  Wisdom"  by 
Annie  Besant  and  "The  Growth  of  the  Soul" 
by  A.  P.  Sinnett. 

Miss  Winslow  gave  "Psychology"  by  Wil 
liam  James,  and  "The  Unity  of  Good"  by  Mary 
Baker  Eddy. 

Mr.  Swift  selected  "God  and  the  State"  by 
Bakunin  and  "Anarchy"  by  Kropotkin. 

Mr.  Hugo  chose  "Socialism"  and  "Studies 
of  Contemporary  Superstition"  by  Mallock. 

An  adjournment  to  the  banquet  table  was 
then  in  order. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THEOSOPHICAL    CHRISTIANITY 

"Esoteric  Christianity"  proved  quite  a  revela 
tion  to  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz.  The 
scientific  and  yet  sympathetic  presentation  of 
Christianity  and  of  the  development  of  its 
theology  opened  avenues  of  thought  which 
especially  Miss  De  Ruiz  hesitated  to  enter. 
She  could  not  yet  become  reconciled  to  the 
idea  of  placing  what  she  had  considered  Hea 
then  Divinities  or  rather  idols  on  a  foot  of 
equality  with  the  Christian  God.  Had  she  not 
read  in  her  school  books  that  Hindus,  Chinese 
and  Japanese  or  the  old  Egyptians  and  Assy 
rians  were  Pagans?  How  often  had  she  not 
been  moved  by  the  pleadings  of  her  minister 
for  a  liberal  contribution  to  the  Missionary 
fund,  in  order  to  bring  the  light  of  Christianity 
into  the  utter  darkness  of  a  degraded  heathen 
world.  And  now  to  be  told  that  these  heathen 
religions  had  'an  origin  similar  to  that  of  Chris 
tianity. 

Mrs.  Lawson  took  a  more  friendly  attitude. 
"I  had  a  conversation  with  Miss  Lenz  on  the 
subject,"  she  remarked  to  her  friend,  "and 
from  a  certain  viewpoint  these  deductions  of 
Annie  Besant  seem  reasonable  enough.  The  ar 
gument  which  struck  me  most  forcibly,  was : 
252 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          253 

that  an  intelligent  conception  of  justice  would 
preclude  God's  favoritism.,  such  as  the  selec 
tion  of  any  one  people,  as  we  are  told  in  the 
Bible  concerning  the  Jews.  We  must  look  for 
a  deeper  explanation  of  many  statements  made 
in  that  book,  and  I  agree  with  Miss  Lenz  when 
she  says  that  we  find  'an  explanation  of  the 
chosen  people  in  the  statement  of  Christ, 
'Who  is  my  mother  and  who  are  my  brothers, 
but  those  who  do  the  will  of  my  father  who 
is  in  Heaven/  All  men  are  equally  God's  chil 
dren  but  those  are  nearer  whose  spiritual  evo 
lution  is  sufficiently  advanced  to  recognize 
their  kinship  with  God.  Would  it  be  just  for 
God  to  give  Light  and  guidance  to  some  of  Has 
children  and  withhold  it  from  others,  or,  what 
would  be  worse,  punish  them  for  the  lack  of 
His  guidance?  Calvin's  teaching  and  its  ac 
ceptance  was  only  possible  in  a  dark  age  and 
is  repugnant  to  the  modern  mind." 

"All  these  things  seem  true  enough,"  answer 
ed  Miss  De  Ruiz,  "yet  somehow  it  is  hard  to 
relinquish  ideas  which  have  been  held  and 
cherished  from  childhood.  And  then  what  do 
you  think  of  Mrs.  Besant's  distinctions  between 
so-called  exoteric  and  esoteric  forms  of  reli 
gion?" 

"The  arguments  advanced  seem  plausible. 
I  discussed  that  subject  also  with  Miss  Lenz 
but  she  is  very  reticent  on  that  point.  It  seem 
ed  to  me  that  she  could  not  tell  all  she  knew 
on  that  subject." 

"I  spoke  to  her  also  on  that  subject  and  I  re 
ceived  the  same  impression.  Let  us  ask  her 
once  more.  I  will  go  and  call  her." 


254  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

A  few  minutes  later  she  returned  to  the 
room  in  company  with  Miss  Lenz.  When  the 
two  were  seated  Mrs.  Lawson  remarked  in  a 
thoughtful  voice,  "Miss  De  Ruiz  and  myself 
have  been  considering  'Esoteric  Christianity.1 
We  find  ourselves  somewhat  puzzled  at  the  dis 
tinctions  of  exoteric  and  esoteric  religion,  and 
we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  as  a  member  of 
the  Theosophical  Society  you  must  know  more 
on  that  subject.  And  when  we  exchanged 
ideas  just  now  on  that  point  we  agreed  that 
you  knew  more  than  you  were  willing  to  com 
municate." 

Miss  Lenz  for  a  few  minutes  seemed  to  be 
thinking  deeply,  then  she  said  slowly :  "Miss 
De  Ruiz  is  familiar  with  the  Greek  language, 
she  must  know  that  the  word  exoteric  means, 
open,  outward,  public ;  and  esoteric,  inner, 
hidden,  occult.  The  latter  word  indicates,  and 
Annie  Besant  shows  clearly,  the  existence  of 
something  hidden  in  religion,  that  must  be 
sought  and  may  be  obtained,  but  that  cannot  be 
simply  revealed  and  given  to  everybody." 

"If  I  understand  you  rightly,"  answered 
Mrs.  Lawson,  "there  is  an  esoteric  teaching 
connected  with  the  Theosophical  Society." 

"The  existence  of  such  knowledge  is  not  to 
be  discussed  with  those  outside  of  the  Society, 
and  not  even  with  all  those  inside.  There  are 
grades  to  which  all  can  aspire." 

"Could  you  indicate  the  Portal  to  that  temple 
or  those  heights?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson  some 
what  lightly  and  amused  at  the  embarrassment 
and  hesitating  manner  of  her  friend  and  secre 
tary. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          255 

The  latter  seemed  undecided,  and  finally  de 
clared  in  a  solemn  and  emphatic  voice :  "This 
subject  is  serious,  more  seiious  and  of  greater 
importance  to  every  human  being  than  you  can 
possibly  imagine  and  I  wish  to  say  this :  the 
Theosophical  Society  is  the  gateway  to  very 
high  spiritual  knowledge." 

"Let  us  join  the  Theosophical  Society  and 
find  out,"  remarked  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"The  Theosophical  Society  should  not  be 
joined  simply  to  find  out,"  declared  Miss  Lenz 
with  a  strong  emphasis. 

"What  do  you  require  besides?"  asked  Miss 
De  Ruiz. 

"An  earnest  search  after  Truth,"  was  the  re 
joinder. 

"And  do  you  doubt  us,  or  rather  me,  in  this 
respect,  Miss  Lenz?" 

"No  I  do  not,  it  was  only  the  light  words 
used  which  caused  my  remarks." 

"Are  there  no  conditions  at  all  for  member 
ship?"  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"None  other  than  the  acceptance  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Man." 

"I  am  willing  to  make  such  an  endorsement, 
and  I  ask  of  you  the  favor  to  propose  me  as  a 
member  of  your  Society." 

"I  too  would  like  to  become  a  member  of 
the  Society,"  said  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"Nothing  can  give  me  greater  pleasure  than 
to  propose  your  names  to  become  members  of 
the  Theosophical  Society,  and  I  will  add  this: 
The  Theosophical  Society  represents  the  first 
Portal  to  a  temple  that  leads  to  heights,  for 
whose  description  words  are  inadequate,  if 
such  could  be  used,  but  every  step  towards  and 


256  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

in  that  temple  must  be  taken  with  circumspec 
tion  and  precaution.  One  of  the  best  things 
Mr.  Heine  said  in  his  address  was  the  state 
ment  that  we  grow  into  and  out  of  our  mental 
conceptions.  Sudden  conversions  or  transi 
tions  on  the  material  or  mental  plane  are  not 
conducive  to  healthy  growth ;  nor  would  a  sud 
den  change  of  environment  of  material  condi 
tions  lie  in  the  interest  of  the  race.  Mr.  Heine 
has  been  brought  to  recognize  this  through  the 
teachings  of  Theosophy.  Some  years  ago  I 
heard  him  repeatedly  express  the  wish  to  end 
his  life  on  the  barricades,  fighting  for  human 
freedom  and  economic  emancipation,  but  he 
has  changed  his  position.  His  own  people  fur 
nish  an  illustration  of  the  truth  that  sudden 
transitions  are  injurious  to  a  healthy  mental 
and  spiritual  growth.  Transferred  from  bar 
barous  and  tyranical  Russia  to  the  comparative 
freedom  of  the  United  States  they  have  lost 
their  balance.  The  rising  generation,  ashamed 
of  the  ways  and  religion  of  their  fathers  and 
not  yet  ready  for  anything  higher,  love  to  call 
themselves  materialists  and  atheists  and  have 
become  extremely  selfish  and  unscrupulous. 
Of  course  there  are  exceptions,"  she  continued 
with  a  slight  blush,  as  if  some  sudden  reminis 
cences  had  come  into  her  mind. 

"I  think  I  know  one  of  these  exceptions,"  re 
marked  Miss  De  Ruiz  with  a  kindly  smile. 

The  delicate  blush  deepened  on  the  soft  and 
transparent  features  of  Miss  Lenz  but  her  eyes 
did  not  flinch  as  she  answered:  "I  believe  you 
do,  and  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  my  know 
ledge  of  the  Jewish  race  comes  from  Mr. 
Heine." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
HEINE'S.  OPPORTUNITY 

A  sudden  thought  seemed  to  strike  Miss  De 
Ruiz  and  she  said  pensively,  "Mr.  Heine  is  a 
Jew,  then,  and  his  people  have  quite  a  reputa 
tion  as  men  of  business.  Some  letters  received 
in  this  morning's  mail  make  it  painfully  clear 
to  me  that  I  need  a  steward  conversant  with 
business  affairs  and  methods.  Would  Mr. 
Heine  accept  such  a  stewardship,  Miss  Lenz?" 

"Mr.  Heine  is  not  what  is  usually  called  a 
business  man.  He  is  a  writer  or  journalist,  at 
present  engaged  in  writing  a  philosophical 
novel." 

"Is  striving  for  fame  and  fortune  compatible 
with  the  teachings  of  Theosophy?" 

"Our  sphere  of  usefulness  is  extended 
through  the  recognition  of  worth  and  merit," 
answered  Miss  Lenz  in  a  very  decided  and  un 
hesitating  tone  of  voice,  which  showed  that 
this  theme  had  been  the  subject  of  a  previous 
discussion.  "But  returning  to  the  question  of 
stewardship,"  then  continued  Miss  Lenz,  "Mr. 
Heine  knows  men  and  affairs  as  do  but  few.  I 
had  proofs  of  this.  He  belongs  to  a  business 
family  and  is  a  master  in  the  science  of  politi 
cal  economy  and  I  would  never  doubt  his  ad 
ministrative  business  capacity." 
257 


258  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"But  would  he  accept  the  position?  Would 
it  not  interfere  with  his  literary  work?" 

"Hardly  more  than  is  the  case  at  present. 
He  has  to  devote  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
to  thankless  writings  for  papers  on  subjects 
with  which  he  has  no  sympathy." 

"All  right,  I  would  like  to  speak  about  this 
matter  to  Mr.  Heine,  if  you  will  kindly  ask  him 
to  come  and  see  me." 

"I  think  it  would  be  very  helpful  to  have  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Heine's  erudition  on  some  of  the 
subjects  which  we  are  considering." 

"Returning  to  the  subject  of  religion,"  then 
continued  Mrs.  Lawson,  "do  you  maintain, 
Miss  Lenz,  that  there  is  an  absolute  standard  of 
religion?" 

"There  is,  but  as  religion  deals  with  the  re 
lations  of  the  finite  to  the  infinite,  our  mental 
conceptions,  having  their  source  in  the  finite, 
must  necessarily  be  limited,  relative  and  inad 
equate.  Whatever  changes,  cannot  be  perfect; 
conceptions  and  forms  of  religion  change  with 
the  advance  of  the  civilization  of  a  nation  and 
with  the  mental  growth  of  the  individual. 
What  a  difference  between  the  Christianity  of 
Apostolic  times  and  the  middle  ages;  and 
again  between  the  middle  ages  and  the  twen 
tieth  century!  Even  racial  temperament  and 
climate  is  a  factor  in  religious  unfoldment,  or 
rather  a  development  of  religious  forms.  It  is 
no  mere  accident  that  Celt,  Slav  and  Roman 
is  mainly  Catholic  and  the  Teuton  nations 
mainly  Protestant.  Men  of  equal  intellectual 
development  may  inherit  and  preserve  different 
forms  of  worship,  but  their  religious  concep 
tions  are  the  same.  Between  the  religion  of 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  259 

Rabbi  Fleischer  and  the  Rev.  Van  Ness  there 
is  no  essential  difference.  Lessing,  the  great 
German  poet  illustrated  this  fact  in  his  wonder 
ful  drama  'Nathan  the  Sage';  and  in  his  book 
let,  'The  Education  of  the  Human  Race'  he 
corroborates  the  main  tenets  of  Theosophy." 

Miss  Lenz  said  her  little  peroration  in  a 
tone  of  deep  conviction  and  a  nearly  didactic 
manner.  The  subject  of  religion  seemed  to 
open  up  springs  of  knowledge  and  awaken  an 
enthusiasm  and  a  positiveness  which  was  in 
striking  contrast  with  her  usually  so  modest 
attitude.  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  had 
listened  with  growing  admiration  to  the  extem 
poraneous  effusion  that  would  have  done  credit 
to  priest  or  professor. 

"I  only  wonder  sometimes  where  you  get  all 
your  knowledge  from,  Miss  Lenz." 

"Whatever  knowledge  of  religious  subjects 
I  have,  has  been  acquired  in  the  last  five  years, 
since  I  joined  the  Theosophical  Society.  I 
think  my  range  of  thought  would  be  wider  if 
I  had  had  more  time,  but  having  to  work  for 
my  living  I  have  been  fully  occupied  during 
the  day." 

"I  hope  that  the  Theosophical  Society  will 
do  as  much  for  us  as  it  has  done  for  you." 

Alice  De  Ruiz  was  sitting  in  her  little  study 
looking  over  the  pages  of  "Socialism"  by  Mai- 
lock.  The  first  part  of  the  book  contained  a 
good  deal  of  abstract  theory  on  capital  and 
labor  and  their  inter-relations,  too  abstruse  to 
be  easily  understood.  In  the  second  part  Mai- 
lock's  theories  were  practically  applied.  The 
virtues  of  the  master  class,  the  capitalists  and 


260  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

their  benefits  bestowed  on  the  working  class 
were  demonstrated  with  figures  and  arguments. 
The  science  of  logic  and  of  mathematics  was 
combined  in  a  marvelous  manner  to  prove  that 
modern  civilization  was  entirely  due  to  the 
genius  and  directive  ability  of  the  capitalist. 
Miss  De  Ruiz  was  in  the  midst  of  the  chapter 
on  directive  ability  when  the  servant  brought 
in  Mr.  Heine's  card.  He  had  come  in  res 
ponse  to  a  letter  from  Miss  Lenz  in  regard  to 
the  stewardship  of  the  estate  of  Miss  De  Ruiz. 
After  a  short  greeting  Miss  De  Ruiz  informed 
Mr.  Heine  that  several  unpleasant  incidents  in 
the  management  of  her  estate  had  made  her 
decide  to  place  its  administration  into  the 
hands  of  a  man  versed  in  business  methods,  in 
whose  judgment  and  integrity  she  could  trust, 
and  that  her  own  impression  of  his  ability  and, 
with  a  slight  kindly  smile,  the  high  opinion  of 
Miss  Lenz  had  caused  her  to  look  upon  him  as 
her  possible  adviser. 

"I  am  very  well  pleased,  and  feel  myself 
highly  honored  by  this  confidence,"  replied  Mr. 
Heine  in  a  polite  manner.  "Most  people,  and 
specially  philosophers  and  political  economists 
have  a  high  opinion  of  their  talents  and  would 
never  hesitate  to  manage  a  corporation  or  rule 
an  empire,  and  I  suppose  I  am  no  exception. 
But  I  will  say  this,  your  confidence  in  my  judg 
ment  may  be,  but  that  in  my  integrity  will  not 
be  disappointed." 

"What  salary  would  you  expect?"  then  ask 
ed  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"One  per  cent  of  the  net  revenue." 

"Do  you  know  how   much   that   would  be?" 

"About  five  thousand  dollars." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          261 

Miss  De  Ruiz  was  surprised  at  the  ready 
answer.  She  seemed  to  figure  and  then  remark 
ed:  "You  seem  to  have  fairly  accurate  infor 
mation  about  the  value  of  my  property,  or 
rather  its  revenue." 

"I  secured  information  on  that  subject." 

"All  right;    when  can  you  assume  office?" 

"Immediately,  give  me  the  power  of  attor 
ney,  as  the  legal  phrase  is,  and  I  will  go  to  New 
York  and  investigate  conditions." 

"You  provide  the  legal  formula  and  I  will 
affix  my  signature." 

"I  can  do  so  right  now,"  was  again  the  ready 
response. 

Mr.  Heine  took  from  his  pocket  a  sheet  of 
paper  and  a  fountain  pen  and  in  a  few  minutes 
handed  Miss  De  Ruiz  the  paper  for  signature. 
Miss  De  Ruiz  was  very  favorably  impressed 
with  Mr.  Heine's  prompt  decision  and  his 
knowledge  of  legal  requirements,  which 
augured  well  for  the  future. 

As  Mr.  Heine  put  the,  to  him,  precious  docu 
ment  into  his  pocket  his  eye  fell  upon  Mai- 
lock's  book  lying  on  the  table. 

"Oh,  I  see  you  are  reading  Mr.  Hugo's  rec 
ommendation,"  he  remarked  with  an  amused 
smile. 

"Yes,  what  do  you  think  of  the  book?" 

"I  am  surprised  at  Mr.  Hugo's  selection.  In 
my  opinion,  of  all  the  apologists  for  Capital 
ism,  this  Mallock  is  the  poorest." 

"I  think  he  makes  out  quite  a  strong  case  for 
Capital  in  his  chapter  on  directive  ability." 

Mr.  Heine  looked  at  Miss  De  Ruiz  in  amaze 
ment.  He  laughed  aloud.  "Wouldn't  that  jar 
you,"  he  then  said  half  unconsciously,  and 


262  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

again  he  looked  at  this  fair  new  mistress  as  if 
something  puzzled  him  greatly.  Miss  De  Ruiz 
became  embarrassed  and  nearly  irritated. 

"You  seem  to  be  greatly  amused,"  she  then 
said  in  a  slight  tone  of  displeasure.  "What  do 
you  mean?" 

Mr.  Heine  became  serious  at  once  and  said 
in  an  apologetic  tone  of  voice,  "Miss  De  Ruiz, 
I  have  realized  something  of  which  I  stand 
much  in  need,  a  good  yearly  salary,  that  will 
leave  me  enough  time  for  my  literary  work,  and 
I  do  not  wish  to  risk  the  advantage  gained  by 
giving  displeasure,  but  if  you  promise  not  to  be 
offended  I  will  explain." 

"I  am  no  child  that  is  easily  offended,"  re 
plied  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"Well,"  now  said  Mr.  Heine,  and  his  amused 
smile  reappeared,  "you  speak  to  me  of  the  dir 
ective  ability  of  the  Capitalist,  to  me,  whom  it 
makes  extremely  happy  to  furnish  this  direc 
tive  ability  needed  in  the  management  of  your 
estate  for  one  per  cent  of  capital's  share,  leav 
ing  ninety-nine  per  cent  for  capital  after  dis 
posing  of  the  directive  ability." 

The  eyes  of  Miss  De  Ruiz  opened  wide 
and  then  she  laughed  heartily.  "Oh,  now  I  see 
the  humor  of  the  situation,"  she  exclaimed, 
"and  I  innocently  gave  you  an  oportunity  for 
a  good  illustration  of  your  economic  stand 
point,  but  not  all  Capitalists  are  in  the  same 
position  as  myself,"  she  continued. 

"No,  not  all,  but  most  of  them.  Rockefeller 
is  today,  so  is  Carnegie ;  so  are  the  members  of 
the  Gould  and  Vanderbilt  family  and  innumer 
able  others." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  263 

"And  what  about  Mallock's  argument  on 
machinery?" 

"Well,  who  produces  the  machine?"  asked 
Mr.  Heine  smiling,  "if  not  inventor  and  work 
er,  and  they  very  rarely  become  Capitalists. 
Capital,"  Mr.  Heine  continued,  "takes  its  share 
in  interest,  rent  and  profit.  Now,  even  Mai- 
lock  has  only  apologies  for  the  taking  of  rent 
and  interest;  he  puts  all  his  erudition  on  the 
justification  of  profit  through  the  directive 
ability  of  the  captain  of  industry.  Mr.  Mai- 
lock  must  know  that  in  England  the  great 
masters  of  Capital  always  had  their  agents  or 
stewards.  To  be  engaged  in  trade  was  and  is 
even  now,  a  stigma  and  constitutes  a  barrier 
to  the  entrance  into  English  social  life.  Mai- 
lock  must  be  aware  of  these  things  and  in  my 
opinion  he  cannot  be  sincere  in  his  arguments. 
Mr.  Hugo  makes  a  better  champion  of  Capital 
ism  and  can,  and  did  put  up  a  far  better  argu 
ment  in  its  favor." 

"Do  you  think  it  morally  wrong  to  take  inter 
est,  rent  and  profit?"  asked  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"No,  not  individually,  but  collectively.  The 
individual  has  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
his  position  in  society." 

When  Miss  De  Ruiz  informed  Mrs.  Lawson 
of  her  selection  of  Mr.  Heine  as  her  agent,  and 
told  her  of  their  discussion  on  the  directive 
ability  of  Capital,  Mrs.  Lawson  smiled  and 
then  said  thoughtfully :  "I  think  you  have  made 
a  good  selection,  and  besides,  unless  I  am  very 
much  mistaken,  you  have  smoothed  the  path 
for  the  realization  of  the  fondest  hope  of  Miss 
Lenz.  I  hope  this  will  not  deprive  us  of  her 


264  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

companionship  and   that  a  way  will  be   found 
to  keep  both  her  and  Mr.  Heine  near  us." 

They    then    discussed    personal    letters    and 
soon  drifted  to  the  subject  of  religion. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NEW   ASPECTS 

"1  think  'Esoteric  Christianity'  is  certainly 
one  of  the  most  instructive  books  I  ever  read. 
Many  reflections,  which  in  the  past  had  ob 
truded  themselves  upon  my  mind  were  made 
clear." 

"But  what  of  our  Christian  Religion,  what 
of  Christ?"  was  the  sad  rejoinder  of  Miss  De 
Ruiz. 

"Our  religion  has  lost  nothing  by  the  dem 
onstration  that  it  is  a  great  and  equal  part  of 
one  stupendous  whole;  and  the  'Man  of  Sor 
rows'  is  brought  nearer  to  ourselves  by  his  ex 
ample  as  a  man  who  had  succeeded  in  subdu 
ing  matter  and  conquering  Heaven,"  replied 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

Miss  De  Ruiz  for  some  time  sat  quietly  with 
hands  folded  and  in  deep  reflection.  To  her 
mind  came  the  sayings  of  William  Norris  and 
his  pleadings  for  an  unbiased  consideration  of 
his  views.  Seized  with  an  overpowering  regret 
and  remorse,  she  burst  out  crying.  Mrs.  Law- 
son  looked  upon  her  friend  with  deep  sympathy 
and  wisely  refrained  from  trying  to  console 
her,  recognizing  that  the  long  hoped  for  and 
desired  crisis  had  come.  When  Miss  De  Ruiz 
had  regained  her  self-possession,  Mrs.  Law- 
son  said  in  a  voice  full  of  gratitude,  "God's 
ways  are  wonderful  indeed,"  and  turning  to 

265 


266  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

her  friend,  "I  think,  in  fact  I  know,  that  I 
understand  your  feelings,  but  there  is  no  cause 
for  regret,  only  for  joy  and  thanksgiving.  The 
intellectual  barriers  to  your  happiness  have 
been  removed." 

"Do  you  think  he  will  forgive  me?" 

"I  am  sure  he  never  blamed  you  for  any 
thing  you  did.  I  think  my  friend  Mr.  Morgan 
has  given  some  hints  to  Mr.  Norris  and  at  a 
sign  from  you  Mr.  Norris  will  be  again  at  your 
feet." 

Miss  De  Ruiz  looked  up  quickly,  a  look  of 
reproach  was  in  her  eyes. 

"There  has  been  no  indiscretion,"  said  Mrs. 
Lawson  in  reply  to  the  look.  "You  kave  seen 
all  the  correspondence  between  me  and  Mr. 
Morgan.  Everything  will  be  all  right,  I  feel 
sure,"  she  continued,  "and  I  expect  to  be  pre 
sent  at  the  wedding  of  my  friend  Alice  and  Mr. 
William  Norris,  and  at  that  of  Miss  Lenz  and 
Mr.  Heine." 

And  as  Miss  De  Ruiz  stole  her  arm  around 
the  waist  of  her  friend,  she  said,  "I  expect  to 
be  present  at  the  wedding  of  my  friend  Mar 
guerite  and  John  Morgan." 

A  crimson  flush  passed  over  the  features  of 
Mrs.  Lawson  as  she  let  herself  down  in  a  chair. 
"What  an  idea!"  she  then  exclaimed. 

"You  are  not  the  only  one  that  is  an  adept  at 
the  reading  of  hearts,  my  dear  Marguerite." 

"But  I  assure  you  you  are  not  an  adept,  there 
never  was  the  slightest  intimation  of  anything 
approaching  love  making  between  me  and  Mr. 
Morgan.  He  is  absorbed  in  other  things." 

"Our  own  heart  sometimes  makes  us  blind," 
answered  the  younger  undisturbed  in  her  opin- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          267 

ion.     "What  not  yet  was,  nor  is,  yet  will  be." 

Bellamy's  "Looking  Backward"  and  "Equal 
ity"  proved  instructive  and  entertaining.  Miss 
De  Ruiz  especially  was  charmed  with  the  beau 
tiful  picture  of  the  glorious  future  presented 
to  the  reader  in  "Looking  Backward". 

Today  we  find  our  three  ladies,  Mrs.  Law- 
son,  Miss  De  Ruiz  and  Miss  Lenz  comfortably 
seated  on  the  soft  grass  in  the  Blue  Hills 
speaking  of  politics  and  religion  and  drifting 
into  a  discussion  of  Bellamy's  social  and  econ 
omic  ideas. 

"Bellamy  opens  very  pleasing  perspectives. 
His  forecasts  on  religion  in  the  chapter  Eritis 
Sicut  Deus  have  even  as  far  as  I  can  judge 
a  slightly  Theosophical  flavor,"  thought  Mrs. 
Lawson,  "but  I  fear  that  mankind  will  have  to 
advance  many  steps  before  his  ideas,  or  rather 
ideals  can  be  realized." 

"I  am  not  sure  about  that,"  replied 
Miss  De  Ruiz  musingly,  "some  of  his  predic 
tions  have  already  come  true.  His  visions  of 
the  telephone  and  the  phonograph  have  been 
realized,  and  I  read  in  this  morning's  paper 
that  a  German  corporation  sent  men  to  this 
country  to  find  a  suitable  landing  place  for  a 
new  airship  that  is  to  cross  the  Atlantic  this 
coming  April.  Sometimes  things  move  quickly, 
and  we  may  be  in  the  midst  of  a  revolution 
without  being  aware  of  it,  resembling  a  man  in 
a  forest  looking  for  a  tree." 

"Concerning  Mr.  Bellamy's  books,"  declared 
Miss  Lenz,  "I  might  say  this :  I  had  a  long 
discussion  with  Mr.  Heine  about  them  some 
time  ago;  he  had  some  very  serious  criticisms 


268  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

to  make  and  found  a  good  deal  of  fault  with 
Bellamy's  view  point,  so  much  so,  that  I  was 
somewhat  surprised  at  his  selection.  His  main 
objection,  as  far  as  I  remember,  seems  to  be 
that  Bellamy  did  not  leave  enough  room  for  the 
unfoldment  of  individual  character  and  initia 
tive;  that  he  made  too  many  provisions  and 
carried  too  far  the  principle  of  government. 
Such  official  encroachments  on  personal  liberty 
Mr.  Heine  thought  furnish  a  basis  for  Her 
bert  Spencer's  attitude,  who  called  Socialism 
the  coming  slavery.  He  spoke  very  highly  of 
a  socialistic  book  by  William  Morris,  'News 
from  Nowhere',  which  avoided  the  faults  in 
'Looking  Backward'.  But  I  am  inclined  to 
side  with  Mrs.  Lawson,  that  the  time  for  the 
realization  of  the  Socialist's  dream,  or  vision, 
as  Mr.  Heine  would  prefer  to  call  it,  is  still  far 
distant;  and  that  the  Socialists'  position  and 
especially  their  methods,  require  serious  mod 
ification.  Mr.  Heine  himself  admits  that  now. 
Theosophy  has  softened  his  views  as  it  did 
those  of  Annie  Besant." 

"I  would  be  very  willing,  and  so  'I  think 
would  Miss  De  Ruiz,  to  forego  our  present 
economic  and  social  advantages,"  declared 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Your  position  is  another  argument  for  the 
Theosophical  position  that  contrary  to  the  so- 
called  scientific,  socialistic  standpoint,  the  ob 
stacle  to  progress  does  not  come  so  much  from 
above  as  from  below.  Things  might  be  different 
in  Europe,  in  monarchial  countries,  and  espec 
ially  in  those  where  church,  state  and  school 
are  controlled  by  king  and  emperor,"  remark 
ed  Miss  Lenz. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          269 

"What  book  are  you  reading  at  present?"  she 
then  asked  after  a  short  pause. 

"We  have  just  begun  'The  Unity  of  Good/  by 
Mary  Baker  Eddy,"  answered  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"The  book  will  be  a  surprise,  and  I  will  fur 
nish  another,"  remarked  Miss  Lenz,  in  a  pen 
sive  tone  of  voice. 

"Can  you  not  give  us  the  surprise  now?" 

"Not  very  well;  it  is  in  connection  with  the 
book  by  Mother  Eddy,  and  to  appreciate  the 
surprise  you  must  first  read  the  book." 

For  the  first  few  minutes  the  three  women 
sat  in  silence.  The  sun  was  in  the  last  quarter 
of  his  journey;  the  air  was  soft  and  balmy; 
in  the  trees  the  birds  were  singing  joyfully  and 
the  ear  was  struck  by  the  rippling  sound  of  a 
brook  flowing  slowly  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

"It  is  getting  late,"  finally  said  Mrs.  Lawson, 
"we  had  better  start  for  home." 

"Let  us  watch  the  sunset,"  said  Miss  Lenz 
pleadingly.  "It  is  very  beautiful  from  here." 

Mrs.  Lawson  looked  at  Miss  De  Ruiz  who 
nodded  approvingly,  and  when  soon  after 
wards  the  fading  light  of  the  Lord  of  Day  il 
lumined  the  western  sky  and  the  beautiful 
landscape,  our  three  ladies  experienced  in 
themselves  the  truth  of  the  poet's  song.  "To 
him  who  in  the  love  of  nature  holds  commun 
ion  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks  a  various 
language." 

Mother  Eddy's  book  "The  Unity  of  Good" 
was  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  religious  and 
philosophical  edifice  that  was  shaping  itself  in 
the  minds  of  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz. 
The  statement  "The  Gods  are  just  and  our 
pleasant  vices  make  instruments  to  scourge 


270  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

us,"  reminded  them  of  Miss  Lenz's  arguments 
in  favor  of  her  theory  on  Karma.  But  what 
struck  them  most  forcibly  was  the  proclamation 
of  the  all  inclusive  unity  of  God  which  left  no 
room  for  independent  and  separate  existence 
for  any  being  or  creature,  material  or  spiritual. 
Some  of  the  most  startling  assertions  were 
these:  "God  is  All,  in  All,  hence  He  is  in  Him 
self  only,  in  His  own  nature  and  character, 
and  is  perfect  Being  or  Consciousness.  He  is 
all  the  Life  and  mind  there  is  or  can  be.  With 
in  Himself  is  every  embodiment  of  life  and 
mind.  If  He  is  all  He  can  have  no  conscious 
ness  of  anything  unlike  Himself,  because  if 
He  is  omnipresent  there  can  be  nothing  outside 
of  Himself." 

The  book  was  written  in  the  form  of  dia 
logue  between  the  True  and  the  False,  or  as 
Mrs.  Eddy  says,  the  Good  and  the  Evil. 

Says  Evil,  "But  mortal  mind  and  sin  really 
exist,  how  can  they  exist  unless  God  has  creat 
ed  them.  How  can  He  create  anything  so  un 
like  Himself?"  etc.  Answer  Good,  "I  am  the 
Infinite  All.  To  believe  in  many  minds  is  to 
depart  from  the  supreme  sense  of  harmony. 
Your  assumptions  insist  that  there  is  more  than 
one  mind,  more  than  the  one  God,  but  verily  I 
say  unto  you,  God  is  All  in  all,  and  you  can 
never  be  outside  of  His  oneness." 

Mrs.  Eddy  declares  as  false  and  misleading 
the  verse  by  Browning. 

"Chance   and   change   are   busy   ever. 
Man  decays  and  ages  move, 
But  His  mercy  waneth  never; 
God  is  Wisdom.  God  is  Love." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          271 

She  asks,  "how  can  it  be  true  that  God's 
mercy  never  waneth,  and  that  at  the  same  time 
chance  and  changes  are  universal  factors,  that 
man  decays.  The  phantasmagoria  (of  change 
and  decay)  according  to  her  is  a  product  of 
human  dream." 

Miss  De  Ruiz  asked  Miss  Lenz  what  she 
thought  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  book.  Miss  Lenz 
smiled.  "I  might  have  selected  this  book  as  a 
good  representation  of  Theosophical  thought, 
but  there  are  further  explanations  necessary 
which  Mrs.  Eddy  fails  to  give." 

"Do  you  accept  then  her  view  that  we  only 
exist  in  God?" 

"Most  assuredly.  Does  not  St.  Paul  also  say: 
'In  Him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being?" 

"And  do  you  also  hold  that  all  material  re 
lations  are  simple,  idle  and  false  productions  of 
man's  fancy,  Phantasmagoria,  as  Mrs.  Eddy 
calls  them?" 

"To  a  certain  extent.  All  is  Maya,  teaches 
the  Hindu  sage,  but  this  statement  requires 
further  elucidation  and  explanation,  and  for 
whose  understanding  a  few  minutes,  or  a  few 
hours,  or  perhaps  years  do  not  suffice." 

"I  promised  you  a  surprise  in  connection 
with  this  book  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  and  this  surprise 
is  on  your  bookshelf  in  the  form  of  a  little 
pamphlet  entitled  'Christian  Science  versus 
Pantheism.'  This  booklet  is  a  strange  pheno 
menon.  In  it  Mrs.  Eddy  tries  to  disprove  the 
logical  deductions  from  her  own  teaching,  con 
tained  in  'The  Unity  of  Good',  and  in  fact  in 
all  her  teaching.  Spinoza  or  Buddha  himself, 
could  not  have  been  more  insistent  upon  the 


272  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

all-inclusiveness  of  the  One  God,  and  in  this 
pamphlet  called  'Christian  Science  versus  Pan 
theism'  she  tries  to  offset  her  own  arguments. 
Mr.  Heine  thinks  that  she  is  afraid  of  Christ 
ian  Science  teaching  being  charged  with  Pan 
theism." 

"Pantheism,"  remarked  Miss  De  Ruiz,  "as  I 
remember  from  my  Greek  studies,  means  all 
is  God.  In  her  book,  'The  Unity  of  Good', 
with  the  strongest  emphasis,  Mrs.  Eddy  not 
only  says  that  all  is  God,  but  also  that  God  is 
all,  and  here  we  have  a  pamphlet,  'Christian 
Science  versus  Pantheism.'  Let  us  read  and 
see." 

They  interchanged  reading  the  book  aloud 
and  their  surprise  was  great  indeed.  Every 
once  in  a  while  they  looked  at  each  other  in 
blank  amazement. 

"What  is  the  poor  woman  trying  to  do,"  re 
marked  Mrs.  Lawson,  "she  says  the  same  thing 
in  different  words,  and  she  seems  to  imagine 
that  by  saying  a  thing  is  different  it  will  make 
it  different,  as  if  calling  a  thorn  a  rose  would 
make  a  thorn  a  rose.  I  would  like  to  have  an 
interview  with  Mrs.  Eddy  on  that  subject." 

"We  might  go  to  the  Christian  Science 
Church  some  Sunday  and  so  possibly  get  into 
touch  with  some  of  the  leaders  and  through 
them  with  Mrs.  Eddy." 

"I  don't  see  Mr.  Swift's  recommendation, 
'God  and  the  State'  on  the  shelf,"  said  Miss 
De  Ruiz  to  Mrs.  Lawson  one  morning.  "I  have 
read  the  literary  selections  of  the  other  chan> 
pions  and  I  think  Mr.  Swift  is  entitled  to  the 
some  consideration.  Did  Miss  Lenz  explain 
to  you  why  the  book  is  not  here?" 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          273 

"She  has  not,  and  I  wonder  myself  why  this 
book  should  be  missing." 

The  noise  of  the  typewriter  could  be  heard 
from  an  adjoining  room,  Miss  Lenz's  workshop, 
as  she  called  it.  Mrs.  Lawson  opened  the  door 
and  asked  Miss  Lenz  to  come  into  the  room 
for  a  few  minutes  and  then  told  her  that  Miss 
De  Ruiz  was  looking  for  "God  and  the  State" 
by  Bakunin.  A  blush  and  then  a  slight  pallor 
spread  over  the  serene  countenance  of  Miss 
I.enz. 

"I  bought  and  read  the  book,  and  after  read 
ing  it  I  begged  Mr.  Heine  to  ask  Mr.  Swift  to 
select  another  champion  of  his  cause.  But  Mr. 
Heine  refused  and  maintains  that  Morris 
Swift  would  never  grant  such  a  wish.  He  says 
my  fears  are  foolish." 

"And  what,  and  why  should  you  fear?  Is 
not  fear  an  admission  of  weakness?"  asked 
Mrs.  Lawson. 

"Not  necessarily,  and  is  not  in  this  case,  for 
I  think  a  mature  mind  will,  after  reading 
Bakunin,  be  strengthened  in  his  convictions  op 
posite  to  those  held  by  that  author.  But  the 
book  requires  a  firm  footing,  it  is  dangerous,  it 
gave  me  the  horrors.  Bakunin  seems  to  be  an 
incarnation  of  one  of  the  Titans,  of  whom  we 
read  that  they  contended  with  the  gods  for  the 
rule  of  the  universe.  Bakunin  fights  God  with 
an  intelligence  and  logical  reason,  never  sur 
passed  by  any  thinker,  and  what  makes  him 
still  more  dangerous  is  the  fact  that  he  was  one 
of  God's  noblemen  who  fought  for  what  he 
considered  right  and  just,  regardless  of  per 
sonal  sacrifices  and  hardships." 


274  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"After  what  you  have  said,  I  would  read 
Bakunin  even  against  your  and  Mr.  Swift's 
advice,"  declared  Miss  De  Ruiz. 

Miss  Lenz  answered  nothing,  she  left  the 
room  and  soon  reappeared  with  two  cheaply 
bound  volumes  which  she  laid  on  the  table  and 
said  quietly,  "These  are  the  best  I  could  get." 

Their  curiosity  thus  aroused,  they  commenc 
ed  the  reading  of  Bakunin's  master  work  "God 
and  the  State."  Their  expectations  were  not 
disappointed.  The  characteristic  feature  of 
the  book  and  of  its  author  was  revealed  in  the 
opening  chapter  with  the  assertion  "Our  first 
ancestors,  our  Adams  and  Eves  were,  if  not 
gorillas,  very  near  relatives  of  gorillas,  omni- 
verous,  intelligent  and  ferocious  beasts,  endow 
ed  in  a  higher  degree  than  any  other  of  the 
animals  with  two  ferocious  faculties;  The  power 
to  think  and  the  desire  to  rebel."  Our  ladies  soon 
found  that  Bakunin  was  well  versed  in  the  mys 
tical  and  occult  teaching  upheld  by  modern 
Theosophy.  He  called  the  esoteric  side  of  reli 
gion  which  his  deep  insight  recognized,  as  the 
basis  of  Christianity  a  saltus  morale.  His  haughty 
mind  failed  to  understand  how  something  per 
fect  could  become  or  wish  to  become  imperfect, 
how  a  God  could  descend  into  matter  and 
therefore  he  declared  it  absurd,  because  every 
thing  reasonable  admits  of  an  explanation. 

They  were  amused  at  his  reversal  of  Vol 
taire's  saying,  that  "if  God  did  not  exist,  it 
were  necessary  to  invent  Him,"  into  the  phrase, 
"if  God  would  exist,  it  were  necessary  to 
abolish  Him." 

But  what  struck  our  readers  most  forcibly 
and  most  strangely  was  his  accord  in  the  inter- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          275 

pretation  of  Christianity  with  Mother  Eddy's 
views  proclaimed  in  "The  Unity  of  Good",  and 
the  similarity  of  their  deductions.  The  material 
universe,  including  man,  is  nothing,  for  God 
alone  is  real,  teaches  Mother  Eddy  in  her 
"Unity  of  Good".  Bakunin  accepts  his  reason 
ing  with  this  proviso,  "if  God  is."  And  he 
reasons  logically  enough  that  if  there  is  an  all 
inclusive  God,  man  the  human  personality  can 
have  no  separate  individual  existence. 

"I  wonder  if  Mother  Eddy  plagiarized  from 
Bakunin,"  remarked  Miss  De  Ruiz  to  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

"I  hardly  think  so,"  was  the  answer.  "They 
are  two  great  minds  and  saw  the  same  logical 
sequence  and  yet  differ  in  their  final  interpre 
tation,"  she  continued  wondering. 

"Whose  interpretation  do  you  take?"  asked 
Alice  De  Ruiz. 

"Mother  Eddy's,  without  being  able  to  give 
a  logical  reason  why." 

Just  then  the  servant  brought  in  Mr.  Heine's 
card,  and  when  this  gentleman  entered,  he  was 
asked  to  give  his  opinion  on  Bakunin.  "The 
most  wonderful  thing  in  the  world  is  the  mind 
of  man,"  was  the  thoughtful  answer.  "Bakun- 
in's  highest  claim,"  he  then  continued,  "to  our 
recognition,  in  fact  to  our  love  and  admiration, 
is  his  incessant  struggle  for  human  rights  and 
freedom,  for  which  he  was  thrice  condemned 
to  death,  and  he  only  escaped  the  hangman 
through  the  rivalry  of  his  enemies  for  the  ex- 
ecutorship.  Bakunin  spent  many  years  in  pri 
sons  and  in  the  snow  fields  of  Siberia  and  yet 
he  never  hesitated  to  enter  the  field  of  danger 


276  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

when  the  cry  of  the  oppressed  reached  his 
ears." 

"A  Socialist  and  a  Theosophist  certainly  can 
sing  loudly  the  praises  of  an  Atheist  and  an 
Anarchist,"  remarked  Mrs.  Lawson,  seeming 
ly  surprised. 

"Bakunin  devoted  his  life  to  what  he  thought 
was  the  service  of  humanity,  no  one  can  do 
more,"  was  the  placid  rejoinder  of  Mr.  Heine, 
"and,"  he  continued  in  a  solemn  voice,  "in  his 
next  incarnation  Bakunin  will  be  one  of  the 
first  among  the  bearers  of  the  higher  Light." 


WILLIAM     NORRIS 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MR.    MORGAN    AND    MR.    NORRIS 

John  Morgan  was  sitting  at  his  desk  deep 
ly  absorbed  in  the  cares  of  his  office.  He  look 
ed  tired  and  weary.  Quite  a  change  had  come 
over  John  since  his  election  as  District  At 
torney  of  San  Francisco.  Many  years  ago  his 
ambition  had  been  to  surpass  all  others  in  the 
knowledge  of  law,  in  eloquence  and  rhetoric, 
to  show  his  legal  skill  in  cross  examining  a 
stubborn  witness  and  he  had  succeeded  in  this 
ambition  and  was  recognized  as  the  most  bril 
liant  lawyer  of  the  State.  His  office  was 
crowde4  with  clients  from  all  walks  of  life. 
The  shrewd  business  man,  the  cunning  crim 
inal,  who  could  pay  well  for  legal  services 
rubbed  shoulders  with  poor  wretches  who  had 
fallen  unwittingly  into  the  meshes  of  the  law, 
and  who  besides  legal,  had  to  be  given  financial 
assistance.  From  early  morn  till  late  at  night, 
John  B.  Morgan  was  kept  busy.  He  was  one 
of  the  fortunate  beings  who  realize  in  them 
selves  the  joy  of  work. 

But  John  B.  Morgan,  in  his  many  years 
practice  as  a  criminal  lawyer,  saw  many  de 
fects  in  the  wheels  of  justice  and  in  youthful 
enthusiasm  he  longed  to  play  the  role  of  re 
former.  For  some  time  the  goal  of  his  ambi- 
277 


278  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

tion  had  seemed  beyond  his  reach,  when  a  for 
tuitous  chain  of  circumstances,  the  cynical  dis 
regard  of  the  people's  interest,  the  open  bribery 
in  state  and  city  government  had  made  practi 
cally  unanimous  the  cry  for  a  political  Hercu 
les  who  would  cleanse  the  augean  stable  of  cor 
ruption,  and  had  aroused  a  wave  of  enthusi 
asm  upon  whose  crest  he  was  carried  into  of 
fice.  He  had  now  an  opportunity  to  introduce 
his  ideas  of  reform  in  practical  jurisprudence. 
But  the  disillusion  soon  came  and  today  he 
was  weighing  the  pro's  and  con's  of  a  new  case 
when  the  entrance  of  his  secretary  disturbed 
his  reflections.  The  latter  laid  upon  the  table  a 
number  of  cards  and  slips  of  paper  with  names 
of  persons  who  asked  for  a  personal  interview 
with  the  District  Attorney.  With  a  tired  look 
Mr.  Morgan  looked  over  these  names  when  his 
eyes  fell  upon  a  single  card  bearing  the  name 
of  "William  Norris".This  name  seemed  to  have 
an  electric  effect;  all  traces  of  weariness  van 
ished  as  if  by  a  magic  spell.  He  arose  quickly, 
left  the  office  and  to  the  surprise  of  clerks  and 
assistants,  locked  his  desk  as  was  his  habit 
after  the  day's  work  was  finished,  which  sel 
dom  happened  before  7  P.  M.,  then  turning  to 
his  secretary  he  said,  "Where  did  you  get  this 
card?" 

"From  a  man  in  the  waiting  room,"  was  this 
gentleman's  reply. 

Over  a  dozen  persons  tried  to  get  the  ear  of 
the  District  Attorney  as  he  entered  the  so-call 
ed  waiting  room.  A  promiscuous  crowd  in 
deed  filled  the  room.  A  person  familiar  with 
European  life  would  have  been  amazed  indeed 
and  a  Prussian  conservative  would  have  been 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          279 

shocked  beyond  expression  by  the  attitude  of 
this  mixed  assembly  towards  a  "Staatsanwalt". 
A  couple  of  reporters  said  "Hello  John".  A 
man  in  immaculately  white  gloves  and  chap- 
eau  claque  said,  "John".  An  unkempt  indivi 
dual  in  shabby  clothes  and  diffident  looks,  like 
wise  said,  "Oh,  John".  But  contrary  to  custom 
their  cordial  greetings  received  no  response. 
Mr.  Morgan  waved  them  all  aside,  when  his 
eye  discovered  a  studious  looking  person  who 
looked  with  wondering  eye  on  the  life  and 
scene  around  him.  He  had  followed  the  ex 
ample  of  the  others  and  had  risen  from  his  seat 
when  Mr.  Morgan  entered  the  room,  and  as  he 
now  took  the  extended  hand  of  the  public  pro 
secutor  of  San  Francisco  the  eyes  of  these  two 
men  met  in  a  joyful  welcome,  but  the  presence 
of  so  many  other  people  prevented  a  free  ex 
pression  and  Mr.  Morgan  said  in  a  low  voice, 
"Wait  a  minute,  I'll  make  myself  free." 

"Do  not  inconvenience  yourself  on  my  ac 
count,  John,  I  can  come  at  some  other  time,  or 
call  on  you  at  your  hotel." 

"No,  I  will  go  out  with  you.  I  feel  the  need 
of  rest  and  fresh  air." 

Mr.  Morgan  returned  to  the  main  office  in 
which  his  assistants  were  working,  gave  a  few 
instructions  and  quietly  informed  them  that 
they  need  not  expect  him  for  the  rest  of  the 
day.  He  then  returned  to  the  waiting  room 
and  freed  Mr.  Norris  from  the  importunities 
of  a  "fresh"  reporter  who  was  seeking  an  item 
for  his  paper. 

"Let  us  take  a  ride  into  the  country,"  sug 
gested  Mr.  Morgan  after  they  had  left  the 
court  house. 


280  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"I  am  pleased  to  see  that  the  pomp  of  office 
and  insignia  of  power  have  not  changed  your 
predilection  for  simple  mother  nature,"  an 
swered  his  friend  and  when  John  B.  stopped 
at  a  street  corner  evidently  waiting  for  a  car, 
"Neither  his  democratic  way  of  travelling." 

"Somewhat  nevertheless,  I  think  I  would 
prefer  to  walk,  and  would  do  so  if  there  were 
no  danger  of  being  troubled  by  various  people 
with  a  grievance  for  or  against  the  goddess  of 
justice,  whom  I  am  supposed  to  represent." 

While  in  the  cars,  their  conversation  was 
confined  to  passing  incidents  and  not  till  they 
had  reached  a  quiet  and  secluded  spot  did  the 
expression  of  indifference  change  into  one  of 
joyful  recognition  and  mutual  welcome. 

"Where  have  you  been  Will,  and  why  have 
you  been  hiding  so  long?"  A  pensive  look 
came  into  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Norris  as  he  answer 
ed,  "I  can  truly  say  I  have  been  everywhere, 
and  certainly  have  not  been  hiding.  I  have  just 
returned  from  a  trip  around  the  world  and  in  a 
well  bound  volume  I  will  soon  present  to  you 
and  other  friends  the  fruits  of  a  two  years' 
pilgrimage." 

"And  was  there  none  in  the  United  States 
entitled  to  your  solicitude  and  the  knowledge 
of  your  whereabouts?" 

"I  think  I  owe  you  an  apology.  My  only 
excuse  must  be  the  author's  pride,  or  rather 
vanity,  to  give  to  his  friends  his  doings  i'r{ 
print." 

Mr.  Morgan  looked  at  his  friend  with  a  deep 
inquiring  look,  "and  are  there  no  others,  or 
rather  no  other  who  had  a  higher  claim  to  your 
solicitude?" 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  281 

A  deadly  pallor  spread  over  the  face  of  Wil 
liam  Norris  at  these  words,  for  the  voice  and 
still  more  the  eyes  of  Morgan  expressed  a 
knowledge  of  which  the  other  had  thought  him 
ignorant. 

"What  do  you  know,  and  how  do  you  know 
it?"  Mr.  Norris  exclaimed  in  a  voice  which  in 
dicated  surprise  and  apprehension. 

"It  is  a  long  story,"  answered  Mr.  Morgan, 
"I  hoped  to  hear  some  things  about  yourself 
first,  but  I  see  I  have  to  unload  my  own  stock 
of  information  first,  but  before  I  begin  I  wish 
to  say  that  there  is  no  cause  to  be  uneasy  and 
that  I  am  happy  to  be  the  harbinger  of  what 
my  friend  Norris  will  consider  joyful  news, 
not  altogether  deserved  by  a  two  years'  absence 
and  silence." 

Mr.  Norris  gave  no  answer,  he  threw  him 
self  on  the  grass  and  looked  up  to  his  friend 
in  silent  expectation.  Mr.  Morgan  then  gave  a 
short  account  of  the  story  of  Mrs.  Lawson  and 
how  she  met  and  rescued  Alice  De  Ruiz  with 
the  details  of  which  the  reader  is  already  fam 
iliar.  "And  at  present,"  concluded  Mr.  Mor 
gan,  "Mrs.  Lawson  and  Alice  De  Ruiz  are 
floating  in  the  thought  currents  of  the  Athens 
of  the  new  world,  and  I  tell  you,  you  will  find 
both  of  them  expert  pilots  in  the  realms  of 
Metaphysics.  The  depths  of  Psychology, 
Christian  Science,  Theosophy,  Socialism  and 
Anarchy  have  been  fathomed  by  them  to  an 
extent  that  will  leave  little  room  for  further 
improvement  by  Wililam  Norris." 

Mr.  Norris  had  listened  as  if  in  a  dream 
without  a  word  of  interruption  and  after  Mor 
gan  had  finished  there  ensued  a  period  of  sil- 


282  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ence  during  which  each  felt  and  shared  the 
other's  thoughts. 

"The  ways  of  providence  are  strange,"  came 
finally  from  the  lips  of  Mr.  Norris,  as  if  think 
ing  aloud. 

"The  Theosophists  call  it  Karma,"  said 
Morgan  with  a  half  smile,  "and  the  Christians, 
destiny." 

"There  is  a  kernel  of  truth  in  either  view 
point,  if  rightly  understood.  I  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  come  to  a  definite  conclusion,  but 
I  rather  lean  to  the  idea  that  to  a  great  extent 
man  shapes  his  own  destiny  and  is  himself  the 
author  of  his  joys  and  woes." 

"Well,  the  Hindu  law  of  Karma  claims  pre 
cisely  the  same  thing.  But  have  Mrs.  Lawson 
and  Miss  De  Ruiz  merited  and  caused  their 
imprisonment?  And  yet,  when  I  come  to  think 
of  it,  it  might  have  been  after  all  for  their  fiiuil 
best,"  continued  Mr.  Morgan  as  if  speaking  to 
himself. 

'There  might  be  threads  invisible  to  our  eyes 
on  which  the  destinies  of  men  are  unfolding 
themselves." 

"Let  us  go  to  Boston.  Can  you  not  take  a 
vacation?"  asked  Mr.  Norris  after  a  short 
pause. 

"It  is  not  easy  just  now,"  answered  his 
friend.  "I  am  entitled  to  a  rest;  since  my  as 
sumption  of  office  I  have  labored  incessantly, 
but  there  are  many  things  at  present  which  de 
mand  my  personal  attention. 

"We  are  too  apt  to  imagine  that  the  world 
rests  on  our  shoulders  and  could  not  possibly 
get  on  without  us,"  answered  Norris.  "With 
all  due  respect  to  the  duties  of  a  public  pro- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          283 

secutor,  I  think  ourselves  and  our  friends  are 
entitled  to  some  consideration  also." 

"Two  years  of  absence  and  silence  show  a 
full  apreciation  of  the  latter,"  answered 
Morgan. 

The  tone  of  the  voice  softened  the  reproach 
that  lay  in  the  words,  and  Norris  replied,  "your 
knowledge  of  some  things  ought  to  give  the  key 
to  this  behavior  without  further  explanation  on 
my  part." 

"And  it  does  indeed,  Will.  I  meant  no  re 
proach." 

"Your  assistants  can  follow  general  direc 
tions,  and  matters  of  importance  can  still  re 
main  subject  to  your  decision.  In  the  age  of 
the  telegraph  and  telephone  distance  is  no 
longer  a  barrier,"  pleaded  Norris. 

"I  will  try  and  see  if  I  can't  get  away,"  an 
swered  Morgan. 

"So  you  think  the  thought  currents  of  Bos 
ton  have  effected  a  revolution  in  the  minds  of 
Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De  Ruiz,"  said  Mr. 
Norris  to  his  friend  on  their  way  back  to  the 
city. 

"I  not  only  think  so,  but  I  know  so.  The 
world  by  them  is  seen  differently  today,  in  its 
social,  political  and  religious  aspect,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  find  Miss  De  Ruiz  well  inclined 
to  your  own  views  on  these  subjects.  And  I 
think  we  owe  a  good  deal  for  this  result  to  two 
persons  whose  acquaintance  we  would  make  if 
we  should  go  to  Boston.  The  one  is  a  man 
named  Heine,  a  Socialist,  and  the  other  is  a 
young  lady  named  Miss  Alma  Lenz,  a  Theo- 
sophist.  The  former  has  become  practically 
the  administrator  of  Miss  De  Ruiz's  property, 


284  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

and  the  other  is  secretary  and  companion  to  the 
two  ladies." 

A  few  days  later  John  B.  Morgan  was  seat 
ed  comfortably  in  his  armchair  at  the  hotel 
Plaza,  smoking  according  to  custom,  a  big 
black  cigar,  while  William  Norris  sat  by  the 
window  which  commanded  a  magnificent  view 
over  park  and  bay. 

"When  do  you  think  you  will  be  ready  to 
start  for  Boston?"  asked  Mr.  Norris  with  a 
somewhat  anxious  look. 

"Let  me  see,  today  is  Thursday.  I  shall  be 
ready  by  Saturday,"  answered  Mr.  Morgan 
with  a  satisfied  expression.  "I  sent  a  despatch 
to  Boston  announcing  your  arrival  in  Frisco, 
and  here  is  what  I  received  in  reply,"  handing 
him  the  telegram. 

Mr.  Norris  read  aloud,  "Could  not  you  two 
come  to  Boston,  (or  do  you  think  we  ought  to 
go  to  Frisco)  ?" 

"Here  is  my  reply,"  answered  Morgan,  giv 
ing  Norris  another  paper,  on  which  were  writ 
ten  these  words.  "Departure  for  Boston 
already  agreed  upon." 

After  a  short  pause  Norris  remarked,  "Next 
to  Miss  De  Ruiz  and  Mrs.  Lawson  I  have  from 
your  description  become  quite  interested  in 
that  man  Heine,  the  Socialist,  and  in  Miss  Lenz, 
the  Theosophist.  I  have  great  sympathy  with 
the  aims  of  Socialists  and  yet  my  views  differ 
sufficiently  to  prevent  me  from  joining  their 
political  party,  and  I  am  also  strongly  inclined 
to  the  so-called  Theosophical  interpretation  of 
life.  I  admire  Pythagaros  and  Plato  and  Plot- 
inus,  who  are  considered  the  greatset  expon 
ents  of  such  a  philosophy,  but  I  have  a  strong 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          285 

objection  to  the  Theosophical  cult  inaugurated 
by  Madame  Blavatsky.  She  seems  to  me  to 
have  been  a  cunning  hypocrite  and  a  shrewd 
adventuress.  How  that  man  Heine,  who  seems 
to  be  from  your  description  a  student  and  a 
man  of  affairs,  could  accept  her  as  his  leader 
and  how  he  can  reconcile  to  himself  the  theory 
of  Theosophy  and  of  Socialism,  I  would  like 
him  to  explain.  From  what  you  tell  me  he  is 
a  member  of  both  organizations.  These  two 
Societies  are  not  only  opposed  on  general  prin 
ciples,  but  their  theory  of  life,  as  far  as  I  can 
see,  is  diametrically  opposed." 

"But  was  not  Annie  Besant  at  one  time  a 
Socialist?"  asked  Mr.  Morgan. 

"You  answer  your  question  by  saying  was," 
answered  Mr.  Norris.  "Socialism,"  he  then 
continued,  "that  is,  the  present  political  organ 
ization  stands  for  the  most  radical  kind  of 
democracy,  whereas,  thesophical  tenets,  at 
least  in  theory,  stand  and  must  stand  for  the 
rule  of  the  elect.  The  theory  of  reincarnation, 
which  puts  the  most  advanced  souls  into  exalt 
ed  positions  as  a  reward  for  good  deeds  in  a 
former  life,  hardly  allows  of  another  stand 
point,  and  a  Pythagoras  and  a  Plato  with  all 
their  philanthrophy  and  Utopian  dreams,  were 
leaders  in  the  ranks  of  conservatism  and  aris 
tocracy." 

"You  will  have  to  ask  Mr.  Heine  for  an  ex 
planation  of  his  principles,  and  from  what  I 
have  heard  of  him,  he  will  be  able  to  give  it." 

"And  where  do  you  stand  today?"  then  ask 
ed  Mr.  Norris.  "I  know  that  nominally  you 
have  usually  affiliated  with  what  is  called  the 
Democratic  party." 


286  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"I  think  you  will  be  surprised  when  I  tell 
you  that  I  have  become  myself  a  Socialist,  and 
that  on  election  day  my  secret  ballot  was  and 
will  be  cast  for  the  candidate  of  that  political 
party.  Socialism,"  continued  Morgan,  "is  in 
my  opinion  the  basis  of  a  future  civilization." 

"Agreed,  John,  but  we  are  not  living  in  the 
future  just  yet." 

"For  that  reason  I  am  at  present  District 
Attorney  of  San  Francisco,  elected  chiefly  as  a 
Democrat  because  the  People  are  not  yet  ripe 
for  Socialism  and  because  all  political  chances 
would  be  sacrificed  by  an  open  affiliation  with 
that  party  and  all  practical  usefulness  lost. 
Some  will  say  that  personal  ambition  had  a  big 
share  in  my  attitude  and  I  would  not  altogether 
deny  such  a  statement.  I  like  authority,  and 
personal  interest,  our  likes  and  dislikes,  will 
color  the  conclusions  of  the  best  of  us.  I  might 
have  tried  to  bribe  my  conscience  by  vot 
ing  secretly  for  the  Socialist  ticket  and  giving 
anonymously  a  contribution  to  their  campaign 
fund." 

"Can  you  do  much  good  at  present,  and  are 
you  satisfied  with  your  present  occupation?" 

A  strange  look  came  into  the  eyes  of  Mor 
gan  at  that  query  of  his  friend.  For  a  few 
minutes  he  seemed  immersed  in  thought  and 
then  with  a  strong  tinge  of  sadness,  "I  am  not, 
and  were  I  to  keep  my  position,  the  years  of 
my  life  would  be  few."  Seeing  the  look  of 
surprise  in  the  eyes  of  his  friend  he  continued, 
"Your  eyes  ask  for  an  explanation.  The  powers 
of  office,  even  if  nominally  absolute,  are  in 
reality  very  limited.  You  have  to  abide  by  usage 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          287 

and  respect  public  opinion.  Did  you  ever  read 
Victor  Hugo's  Les  Miserables?" 

"I  have/'  answered  Norris. 

"It  gives,"  then  continued  Morgan,  "a  re 
markably  strong  picture  of  life  in  general  and 
of  jurisprudence  in  particular,  and  yet  pre 
sents  a  distorted  view  point.  The  Val jeans 
are  very  rare  in  the  world,  in  the  world  of 
crimes  and  criminals.  From  Hugo's  book  we 
might  conclude  that  society  is  responsible  and 
the  criminal  absolved  from  guilt.  Altgeld,  in  a 
little  booklet  entitled  'Our  Legal  Machinery  and 
its  Victims'  strongly  emphasizes  the  responsibil 
ity  of  society,  but  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the 
criminals  themselves  never  think  so.  It  would 
never  enter  their  mind  that,  not  they,  but  so 
ciety,  or  as  Socialists  call  it,  environment  is  to 
blame  for  their  criminal  actions.  The  average 
criminal  is  conscious  of  guilt.  When  acquitted 
on  a  technical  point,  through  his  lawyer's 
shrewdness  or  through  the  sympathy  of  the 
district  attorney  or  the  clemency  of  the  judge 
criminals  simply  think  they  have  gotten  the  bet 
ter  of  the  law  and  rejoice  at  their  good  fortune. 
But  the  idea  that  they  did  not  commit  a  crime 
by  their  own  free  will  would  never  enter  their 
head.  The  suggestion  that  they  were  mere  pup 
pets  propelled  by  fortune  or  fate  would  be  re 
sented  by  them  as  a  personal  oinsult.  And  who 
will  dare  to  say  that  nature's  voice  is  entirely 
wrong." 

"Where  do  you  stand?"  asked  Norris. 

"  I  have  not  reached  terra  firma,  and  that  is 
one  more  reason  why  I  am  really  anxious  to 
meet  that  man  Heine,  of  whose  wisdom  on  all 
questions  of  life  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De 


288  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Ruiz  have  such  a  high  opinion,"  answered  Mr. 
Morgan  with  a  smile  and  a  somewhat  ironical 
tone  of  voice.  "It  is  not  easy,"  he  then  contin 
ued,  "to  plead  for  a  verdict  of  guilty,  even  in 
the  case  of  a  habitual  criminal,  who  was  born 
in  the  slums  of  a  city,  never  received  any  kind 
of  an  education,  learned  what  ever  he  knows 
of  a  trade  behind  prison  walls.  Those  things 
sometimes  cause  loss  of  sleep  and  of  peace  of 
mind  in  the  day,  but  what  can  be  done?  So 
ciety  must  be  protected;  men  with  criminal 
tendencies  must  be  restrained  through  fear  of 
the  law  with  its  punishments.  I  admit  that  if 
society  were  guilty,  society  ought  to  be  punish 
ed ;  if  responsible  it  ought  to  be  reformed,  but 
the  question  is,  is  society  responsible  and  to 
what  extent?" 

"There  is  only  one  escape  from  your  laby 
rinth,"  answered  Mr.  Norris  with  a  smile  and 
yet  seriously,  "and  that  escape  is  by  the  door 
of  reincarnation." 

"But  will  such  an  escape  explain  or  rather 
solve  the  problem?" 

"It  seems  to  me  the  only  reasonable  solution, 
without  it  you  will  have  a  hard,  I  think  an  im 
possible  task  to  adjust  the  facts  of  this  world 
with  the  idea  of  absolute  justice.  Let  us  hope 
to  find  further  enlightenment  in  the  thought 
currents  of  Boston,"  concluded  Mr.  Norris  as 
he  rose  to  take  his  departure.  "Could  you  take 
a  ride  with  me  to  the  beach?  The  stars  and 
moon  seem  to  beckon  for  a  visit." 

"I  wish  I  could.  I  have  worked  since  early 
morning  and  am  tired,  but  my  departure  on 
Saturday  requires  many  dispositions." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          289 

"Do  not  take  things  too  serious,  John;  as  I 
said  before,  the  world  does  not  rest  on  our 
shoulders." 

Mr.  Norris  looked  up  quickly  at  the  note  of 
pain  in  the  voice  of  his  friend  and  said  slowly, 
"John,  I  wouldn't  like  your  job." 

"And  I  shall  not  keep  it  longer  than  I  have 
promised,"  was  the  firm  rejoinder. 

During  their  first  trip  across  the  continent 
these  two  men  had  ample  time  to  exchange 
their  experiences  during  the  years  of  separa 
tion  and  Mr.  Norris  gave  a  graphic  account  of 
his  voyage  around  the  world. 

"This  planet  is  small  after  all,"  he  remarked 
one  day,  "if  measured  by  our  present  means  of 
travel,  and  yet  is  replete  with  a  variety  of 
race  and  civilization  far  greater  than  those  im 
agine  who  have  never  gone  beyond  the  borders 
of  their  own  country."  He  then  spoke  of  the 
life  in  Europe,  of  France,  Germany  and  Italy 
and  related  some  of  his  experiences  in  the  East, 
in  Turkey,  Persia,  and  China.  In  some 
respects  he  thought  the  genus  homo  is  very 
much  the  same  and  yet  so  different.  Put  an  in 
dividual  German  and  Frenchman,  especially  of 
the  upper  classes  along  side  of  one  another  and 
only  a  very  experienced  eye  could  tell  their 
nationality,  and  yet  what  a  difference  in  the 
national  genius  of  the  two  countries  lying  so 
closely  together  and  having  even  a  racial  affin 
ity,  the  very  word  France  having  a  Teutonic 
origin  coming  from  Frank,  a  German  tribe. 
"I  often  wondered,"  he  continued,  "what  might 
be  the  cause  of  the  differentiating  characteris 
tics.  Can  it  be  ascribed  to  climate?  If  so  the 
same  climate  ought  to  produce  the  same 


290  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

national  tendencies,  but  the  climate  of  China 
and  Japan  presents  all  the  varieties  of  the  cli 
mate  in  Europe,  and  yet  Asiatics  and  Euro 
peans  even  when  born  in  corresponding  lati 
tudes  differ  in  physical  appearance  as  well  as 
in  their  thoughts  and  aspirations.  I  once  heard 
a  German  professor  of  philosophy  assert  that 
man  is  what  he  eats,  but  while  willing  to  give 
to  food  all  its  due  importance,  being  a  vege 
tarian  myself,  I  rather  uphold  the  claim  of 
Ruskin  that  man  is  what  he  thinks.  The  power 
of  thought  is  felt  in  travel.  We  grow  towards 
the  national  tendencies  of  the  people  among 
whom  we  live ;  it  is,  as  if  the  thought  of  a  nation 
had  some  material  effect  upon  our  physical  and 
mental  constitution  and  were  affecting  our 
being." 

John  B.  had  followed  attentively  the  peram 
bulations  of  his  friend.  "You'd  better  wait  until 
you  get  to  Boston  before  you  enter  the  domain 
of  occultism  and  metaphysics,"  he  said  with  a 
smile. 

"I  deny  that  what  I  said  is  either  metaphysi 
cal  or  occult.  I  simply  gave  facts  based  upon 
personal  observations  and  experience." 

"I  had  not  the  slightest  intention  to  belittle 
those  observations  by  calling  them  metaphysi 
cal,"  said  John  B.  laughing.  "My  period  of 
atheism  is  passed  and  I  would  not  be  surprised 
today  at  any  manifestation  based  upon  psychi 
cal  or  occult  lines.  My  correspondents  in  Bos 
ton  induced  me  to  read  Hudson's  'Law  of  Psy 
chic  Phenomena'  and  Meyer's  'Human  Per 
sonality  and  the  Future  Life',  and  these  two 
books,  based  upon  the  reports  of  the  Psychical 
Research  Society,  vouched  for  by  such  men  as 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  291 

A.  R.  Wallace  and  Sir  William  Crookes,  have 
prepared  my  mind  for  possibilities  not  before 
thought  worthy  of  consideration." 

"I  am  familiar  with  these  books  myself  and 
am  grateful  to  the  authors  for  the  information 
given.  Are  you  willing  to  accept  their  conclu 
sions?"  he  then  asked  his  friend. 

"I  don't  see  how  I  can.  The  final  deduc 
tions  of  Meyers  and  Hudson  are  diametrically 
opposed.  Meyers  claims  that  the  facts  fur 
nished  in  the  investigations  of  Psychic  phe 
nomena  established  a  proof  of  future  life  and 
the  possibility  and  actual  existence  of  com 
munication  between  two  worlds,  between  the 
living  and  the  dead.  Whereas  Hudson  regards 
such  a  conclusion,  if  not  unfounded  at  least 
premature.  The  members  of  the  P.  R.  S.  are 
at  variance  themselves,  some  accepting,  others 
rejecting  spiritistic  theories  or  agencies." 

"Where  do  you  stand  then?"  again  asked 
Norris. 

"Nowhere,  my  position  is  in  the  air,  or 
may  be  in  'Akasa.'  I  think  this  word  fits  my 
position  best,"  he  then  continued  musingly, 
"for  like  my  position,  this  akasa  seems  to  be 
shrouded  in  deep  obscurity." 

"The  technical  term  for  your  state  of  mind 
would  then  be  agnosticism,"  remarked  Mr. 
Norris.  "Some  years  ago  I  might  have  joined 
you  as  a  comrade.  While  I  never,  like  you 
and  Shelley,  passed  through  a  mental  state  call 
ed  atheism,  yet  I  have  experienced  the  pains  of 
doubt  engendered  by  agnosticism  and  can  sym 
pathize  with  men  suffering  from  the  same  germ 
and  have  long  ago  recognized  the  truth  ex 
pressed  by  Shakespeare,  or  rather  by  Bacon, 


292  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

There  are  more  truths  under  Heaven  and 
Earth  than  are  dreamed  of  in  your  phil 
osophy.'  " 

"You  stand  then  on  the  side  of  Bacon  in  the 
Shakespearian  controversy?" 

"Since  last  year,  up  to  that  time  I  fought  for 
William  Shakespeare." 

"And  what  caused  you  to  change  your  alle 
giance?"  again  asked  Morgan. 

"Certain  devices  found  in  the  works  attri 
buted  to  Shakespeare.  For  some  reason  Bacon 
seems  to  have  wanted  his  authorship  recognized 
by  future  generations,  and  he  inserted  remarks 
and  letters  which  in  my  opinion  will  eventually 
establish  him  as  the  author.  When  we  get  to 
Boston  I  will  show  you  the  things  I  mean  and 
your  legally  trained  mind  will  soon  see  the* 
points  involved." 

Engaged  thus  in  social  and  philosophical 
problems  the  hours  of  their  journey  passed 
quickly.  When  they  were  passing  through  the 
state  of  Illinois  Mr.  Morgan  remarked  that  if 
time  had  permitted  he  would  have  liked  to  visit 
the  last  resting  place  of  John  P.  Altgeld.  "Next 
to  Abraham  Lincoln,"  he  declared,  "John  P. 
Altgeld  is  my  favorite  political  character  and  it 
seems  a  strange  coincidence  that  the  main  pol 
itical  battles  of  these  two  men  were  fought  in 
this  state.  I  was  born  and  reared  a  Catholic 
and  of  her  teachings  the  one  that  the  pictures 
and  examples  of  great  and  holy  men  exercise 
an  inspiring  influence,  I  am  still  ready  to 
endorse." 

"You  are  in  the  company  of  the  great,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Norris  smiling.  "We  read  in  his 
tory  that  Caesar  while  in  Alexandria  visited 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          293 

the  tomb  of  Alexander  the  Great  and  we  are 
told  that  Napoleon  spent  over  an  hour  all  by 
himself  in  the  mausoleum  of  Charlemagne. 
And  when  I  come  to  think  of  it,  it  seems  a 
strange  accident  that  the  field  of  their  activity 
should  have  brought  these  two  men  to  these 
places;  the  one  born  in  Italy  to  Egypt,  the 
other  born  in  Corsica  to  Aix  La  Chapelle  on  the 
Rhine." 

"Wait  till  you  get  to  Boston,"  again  caution 
ed  Mr.  Morgan  in  a  half  mocking  voice,  "be 
fore  entering  the  realm  of  the  occult.  I  would 
not  at  all  be  surprised  if  our  Theosophical 
friends  would  claim  Caesar  an  incarnation  of 
Alexander  and  Napoleon  an  incarnation  of 
Caesar.  You  would  then  have  but  one  indiv 
iduality  for  these  three  historical  characters 
and  it  would  be  easy  to  infer  further  that  this 
so-called  Karma  brought  them,  or  rather  him 
to  a  former  field  of  activity." 

"And  this  claim  might  not  be  so  far  from  the 
truth  either,"  declared  Mr.  Norris,  "I  admit 
that  I  had  never  thought  of  it  before,  but  I  re 
member  reading  that  the  character  and  ex 
ploits  of  Alexander  were  a  favorite  topic  of 
conversation  with  Caesar,  and  that  Napoleon 
had  intended  to  write  a  history  of  Caesar 
which  was  done  later  by  his  nephew,  and  we 
know  Napoleon  himself  assumed  the  title  of 
Caesar,  that  of  all  his  titles  Napoleon  took  for 
his  son  at  the  time  of  his  birth  the  name,  King 
of  Rome." 

While  these  two  men  were  thus  speaking  of 
things  in  general  and  discusing  abstract  theo 
ries,  their  hearts  were  filled  with  a  picture  of 
very  deep  and  personal  concern  and  they  were 


294  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

perfectly  aware  of  that  fact.  Morgan  knew 
that  the  all-absorbing  thought  of  his  friend 
Norris  was  a  certain  person  named  Alice  De 
Ruiz  and  Mr.  Norris  knew,  or  rather  felt,  that 
a  person  named  Mrs.  Lawson  was  the  real 
magnet  that  drew  his  friend  from  professional 
obligations  to  the  City  of  Boston.  It  will  seem 
strange  to  most  women  that  these  two  men 
with  absolute  confidence  in  the  other's  sympa 
thy  and  discretion  shrank  from  a  discussion  of 
an  affair  of  their  hearts.  Is  love  more  sacred 
to  man  than  to  woman?  This  can  hardly  be 
asserted;  on  the  contrary  strong  masculine 
natures  feel  something  akin  to  shame  and  con 
sider  it  a  confession  of  weakness  in  being  in 
bondage  to  the  God  of  Love.  Where  woman 
exults  man  often  shrinks  and  hides.  The  best 
illustration  of  the  appreciation  of  love  is  found 
in  the  correspondence  between  Abelard  and 
Heloise.  Between  two  women  as  intimate  as 
Morgan  and  Norris  their  topic  of  conversation 
would  have  been  of  Mr.  Morgan  and  Mr.  Nor 
ris,  or  rather  Will  and  John,  but  these  two 
men,  by  an  unexpressed  agreement  avoided  the 
subject  uppermost  in  their  mind.  It  was  only 
incidentally,  when  Mr.  Norris  was  relating 
some  episodes  immediately  preceding  his  trip 
around  the  world  that  his  relations  to  Miss  De 
Ruiz  were  touched  upon,  then  one  word 
brought  on  another  and  as  Morgan  knew  al 
ready  the  general  outlines  of  that  history,  the 
discussion  become  more  open  and  complete. 

"I  was  in  a  painful  dilemma/'  declared  Mr. 
Norris,  "when  I  received  a  note  with  the  ques 
tion:  'Do  you  love  God  more  than  me?'  For 
some  time  I  hesitated.  I  knew  the  answer 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  295 

which  was  wanted  and  as  I  had  cause  to  be 
lieve,  eagerly  expected.  But  what  could  I  do ! 
The  very  fact  that  such  a  question  was  asked, 
and  such  an  answer  solicited,  was  an  indica 
tion  of  no  common  character.  Most  girls  would 
be  more  than  satisfied  to  be  loved  more  than 
God,  but  what  was  I  to  do?  I  am  no  atheist 
and  can  truly  say  I  love  God,  but  I  know  that 
I  can  love  Him  in  His  creatures  only,  who  are 
the  most  advanced  form  of  His  manifestation. 
God  Himself  is  far  removed  from  the  need  of 
human  love.  I  might  have  committed  an  act 
of  mental  sacrifice  or  Jesuitical  reservation, 
reasoning  that  the  end  justifies  the  means,  es 
pecially  as  Miss  De  Ruiz  was  sick,  but  then 
came  to  my  mind  the  example  of  John  Rus- 
kin,  for  whom  I  always  had  an  especially  high 
regard  as  a  man  and  a  thinker.  He  had  a 
similiar,  in  fact  an  identical  experience.  At 
first  I  was  dumbfounded  when  this  fact  stood 
before  my  mind,  I  think  occultists  may  deem 
this  coincidence  worthy  of  consideration,"  he 
said  musingly,  "and  I  finally  concluded  that 
what  John  Ruskin  determined  as  right  could 
not  be  wrong  for  William  Norris.  So  my  an 
swer  was  negative,  but  I  afterwards  sent  a  let 
ter  with  explanations  that  I  thought  would  sat 
isfy  the  mind  of  Miss  De  Ruiz,  but  I  seem  to 
have  been  mistaken.  Of  late  the  thought  often 
came  to  me  that  she  might  never  have  received 
that  letter." 

"She  did  not,"  came  slowly  from  the  lips  of 
Morgan. 

"And  how  do  you  know?" 

"I  know  it  from  Mrs.  Lawson.  I  think  a 
good  many  misunderstandings  will  be  removed 


296  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

when  we  will  have  reached  the  end  of  this 
journey." 

"And  what  about  yourself?"  asked  Mr.  Nor- 
ris  as  he  looked  deeply  into  the  eyes  of  his 
friend. 

A  light  red  spot  appeared  on  the  forehead  of 
Morgan  at  this  question  of  Norris  made  by  the 
eyes  even  more  than  the  words.  "There  is 
nothing  especial  concerning  myself/'  was  the 
hesitating  answer. 

Mr.  Norris  looked  a  little  offended.  He  had 
opened  his  heart's  affairs  to  his  friend  and 
thought  himself  entitled  to  the  same  confidence. 
Did  he  want  justification  of  his  own  weakness 
by  a  similar  one  of  his  friend?  Who  will  fa 
thom  the  depths  of  man's  thoughts,  the  under 
lying  causes  of  their  feelings  and  sometimes 
their  actions? 

Mr.  Morgan  fully  understood  his  friend.  "I 
cannot  give  an  equivalent  for  I  have  no  equi 
valent  to  give,  he  said  slowly."  "I  might  have 
hopes,  but  it  would  be  very  premature  and  I 
think  unfair  to  clothe  them  in  words."  The  two 
shook  hands  and  some  time  their  eyes  beheld 
the  objects  passed  by  the  swiftly  moving  train, 
while  their  minds  made  a  review  of  the  past 
and  tried  to  lift  the  veil  from  the  future. 

"Shall  we  go  straight  on  to  Boston  or  make 
a  stop  for  a  day  or  so  in  New  York  first?" 

"What  do  you  think?"  was  the  rejoinder. 

"There  are  a  few  places  I  would  like  to  visit 
and  some  persons  I  ought  to  see.  I  think  I 
ought  to  pay  a  visit  to  my  colleague  Rejome." 

"I  would  like  to  have  a  good  look  at  that 
fellow  myself,"  said  Mr.  Norris.  I  couldn't 
make  up  my  mind  about  his  character.  To  have 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          297 

posed  successfully  as  a  reformer  for  so  many 
years,  either  indicates  a  genius  a  la  Chadwick, 
or  it  puts  the  political  acumen  of  the  good  citi 
zens  of  New  York  way  below  par." 

"Not  necessarily  either,"  was  the  answer  of 
Morgan.  "A  man's  friends  and  acquaintances 
are  very  few  in  proportion  to  the  total  popula 
tion  of  a  large  city  and  the  voter  is  dependent 
upon  the  newspaper,  for  his  judgment  of  an 
aspirant  to  public  office.  And  our  newspapers, 
you  know  what  they  are.  An  honest  and  inde 
pendent  writer  would  starve  to  death  if  he  were 
dependent  upon  them  for  a  living." 

"What  do  you  think  of  Mr.  Rejome?"  then 
asked  Norris. 

"I  beieve  that  at  one  time  he  was  honest  or 
at  least  thought  himself  so,  but  when  he  recog 
nized  the  limitations  of  office  and  saw  the  real 
powers  behind  the  throne  of  justice  he  decided 
to  swim  with  the  current  and  land  himself  in  a 
soft  berth.  The  so-called  common  people  will 
not  have  many  faithful  advocates  of  their 
rights  until  they  will  learn  to  appreciate  their 
champions.  There  is  at  present  in  Boston  a 
District  Attorney  named  Moran  who  copied 
Rejome  successfully  and  as  far  as  I  hear  has 
not  yet  been  found  out.  The  people  call  him  the 
man  who  dares.  Mrs.  Lawson  has  had  some 
dealings  with  him  and  she  writes  that  he  is  a 
typical  politician.  I  might  have  taken  such  a 
characterization  as  an  aspersion  upon  myself 
for  I  am  also  classified  with  politicians,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Morgan  with  an  amused  smile. 

"I  would  like  to  get  to  Boston  as  soom  as 
possible.  Couldn't  we  continue  our  trip  there 
and  visit  New  York  later?"  asked  Mr.  Norris. 


298  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"I  do  not  wish  to  press  my  own  views  too 
strongly,  but  I  fear  that  once  in  Boston  we  will 
meet  all  kinds  of  obligations  in  the  shape  of  the 
fair  sex/' 

"Will  one  day  suffice  for  your  purpose  and 
will  not  the  ladies  be  displeased  at  our  lack  of 
zeal  in  getting  into  their  presence?" 

"All  information  received  seems  to  indicate 
that  they  have  become  quite  philosophical  and 
I  do  not  think  they  will  be  noticeably  disturbed 
by  such  little  thing  as  a  day's  delay." 

"Well,  a  stop  in  New  York  it  is.  We  can 
send  a  telegram  to  Boston  when  we  get  there, 
and  announce  to  the  ladies  the  day  of  our 
coming." 


CHAPTER  XXL 

A   PICTURE  OF   NEW   YORK 

Arrived  in  New  York  they  took  rooms  in 
the  Park  Hotel. 

"Would  you  like  to  meet  R.  W.  Kearst,  Mor 
gan?"  asked  his  friend  after  they  had  freed 
themselves  from  the  dust  of  the  journey. 

"I  think  I  would  John." 

"All  right,  I  will  mention  your  name  when  I 
make  my  appointment  with  him  and  Rejome. 
We  might  excuse  ourselves  for  a  private  talk, 
but  if  this  is  the  case  it  will  not  last  long." 

Morgan  telephoned  to  Mr.  Kearst  and  was 
informed  that  this  gentleman  would  be  at  his 
disposal  at  any  time  during  the  day.  He  ar 
ranged  for  an  appointment,  then  called  Mr. 
Rejome  and  meeting  with  equal  cordiality  he 
arranged  a  meeting  for  the  time  succeding  his 
interview  with  Kearst.  To  the  query  if  they 
would  object  to  the  introduction  of  a  personal 
friend  both  had  answered  in  the  negative. 

So  William  Norris  accompanied  his  friend 
on  his  visit  to  the  two  most  renowned,  or  as 
others  might  say,  notorious  men  of  the  great 
city  of  New  York.  The  greeting  by  Mr.  Kearst 
was  very  cordial  and  spoke  of  an  openness  of 
character  not  expected  by  Mr.  Norris.  This 
gentleman  had  a  very  high  opinion  of  himself 
299 


3ou  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

as  a  judge  of  men,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
he  had  some  reason  for  conceit  in  that  respect. 
This  time  he  had  come  with  the  distinct  object 
to  make  studies  of  character  and  he  very  care 
fully  scrutinized  the  features  and  observed 
the  words  and  manners  of  the  famous  politician. 

Mr.  Kearst  and  Mr.  Morgan  discussed  at 
first  the  political  affairs  of  San  Francisco  and 
the  State  of  California  and  gradually  drifted 
into  a  general  line  of  argument  on  the  political 
situation  of  the  country.  The  tone  of  Mr 
Kearst  was  somewhat  pessimistic  while  that  of 
Mr.  Morgan  was  more  hopeful.  But  upon  one 
point  the  two  were  agreed:  that  the  people 
could  not  recognize  their  friends  and  that  until 
they  did  so  the  cause  of  reform  was  hopeless. 

"I  have  spent  hundreds  of  thousands,  in  fact 
millions  in  my  fight  for  the  people's  weal.  I 
succeeded  in  lowering  the  price  of  gas  from 
one  dollar  to  eighty  cents,  saving  millions  an 
nually  to  the  people  of  New  York,  and  yet  they 
prefer  as  Mayor,  a  McLellan  and  a  Gaynor  or 
as  Governor  a  Hughes,  men  who  never  spent  a 
cent  in  their  behalf,  but  on  the  contrary  have 
for  years  been  feeding  out  of  the  public  trea 
sury.  For  my  own  safety,"  continued  Mr. 
Kearst,  "I  had  to  modify  my  political  stand 
point,  such  as  public  ownership  of  public 
utilities." 

"And  why  did  your  safety  require  such  a 
thing?"  here  asked  Mr.  Norris. 

Mr.  Kearst  smiled,  then  answered.  "Most 
of  my  fellow  capitalists  hate  me  as  things  are, 
but  they  no  longer  greatly  fear  me.  A  per 
sistent  agitation  for  public  ownership  would 
have  forced  me  financially  to  the  wall.  "And 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          301 

as  he  encountered  a  surprised  look  of  Mr.  Nor- 
ris  he  went  on  to  explain,  that  a  newspaper 
was  dependent  for  its  revenue,  the  sinews  of 
war  and  existence,  upon  advertisements  and 
that  it  was  here  where  the  control  of  the 
money  powers  step  in.  "Of  course,"  he  con 
tinued,  "if  I  could  have  counted  on  success;  if 
I  could  have  relied  upon  the  people  I  would 
have  persisted  in  what  I  consider  their  fight, 
but  I  do  not  care  to  become  a  martyr  like  J. 
P.  Altgeld,  who  died  practically  a  pauper  for 
fighting  the  battle  of  the  common  people  with 
to  much  zeal  and  too  much  enthusiasm  and  not 
enough  regard  for  self." 

Mr.  Norris  was  silent.  He  had  no  wish  to 
argue  against  Mr.  Kearst's  position  which  was 
sensible,  even  if  not  heroic  and  he  knew  that 
arguments  will  not  make  heroes. 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  and  Mr. 
Morgan  looked  at  his  watch.  "We  will  be  just 
in  time  for  our  interview  with  Mr.  Rejome," 
remarked  he.  Our  friends  then  took  leave  from 
the  famous  political  leader  and  self-made  can 
didate  for  President.  Their  automobile  sped 
through  Third  and  Second  Avenue,  across 
Broadway  and  came  to  a  halt  before  a  very 
imposing  looking  structure  which  contained  the 
Halls  of  justice  of  New  York.  Many  inspiring 
emblems  and  statues  of  the  Goddess  of  Justice 
met  their  eyes  as  they  passed  through  the  ar 
tistically  decorated  corridors.  There  the  God 
dess  of  Justice  stood  stern  and  severe  holding 
a  naked  sword  in  her  right  hand.  Here  she 
posed  in  an  attitude  calm  and  serene  with  her 
eyes  securely  covered.  With  a  critical  eye  Mr. 
Norris  stood  before  one  of  the  statues. 


302  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Methinks,"  he  said,  half  smiling  and  half 
serious,  "the  Goddess  wears  an  expression  of 
strong  discontent.  I  wonder  whether  the  artist 
had  a  presentment  of  New  York  justice  and 
expressed  it  consciously  or  unconsciously  in 
his  creation,  or  whether  the  odor  of  New  York 
justice  is  too  strong  even  for  a  marble  statue." 

"Your  imagination  beats  that  of  the  ancients, 
who  saw  bears,  lions  and  goats  in  the  position 
of  the  stars,"  said  Mr.  Morgan  laughing. 

"Some  people  are  more  sensitive  or  more 
visionary  than  others,"  answered  his  friend. 

"I  am  sure  you  will  laugh  still  more  when  I 
tell  you  that  an  uneasy  feeling  of  dread  and 
fear  has  come  over  me,  ever  since  I  entered 
this  building  ,and  a  similar  feeling  took  hold 
of  me  when  I  entered  your  office." 

"Have  you  got  an  explanation  of  this?"  ask 
ed  Morgan. 

"I  have  even  two.  An  easily  excited  imag 
ination  would  be  the  simplest,  the  other,  strange 
to  a  western  mind,  is  expressed  with  the  word 
aura  and  various  personal  experiences  have 
made  me  realize  that  the  atmosphere  does  be 
come  charged  with  the  thoughts  of  men." 

"How  is  it  that  I  never  receive  such  impres 
sions?"  asked  Morgan. 

"Maybe  on  account  of  being  less  impres 
sionable,  or  that  the  edge  is  worn  off  and  hard 
ened  by  usage,"  answered  Norris. 

"Better  wait  for  the  occult  until  you  reach 
Boston,"  declared  John  as  with  a  firm  grasp  he 
opened  the  door  on  which  were  written  the 
words  District  Attorney. 

The  title  District  Attorney  seemed  to  have  a 
magical  effect  on  the  attendant  of  another  such 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  303 

dignitary,  for  the  fellow  with  a  quite  impor 
tant  look,  to  whom  Morgan  gave  his  card,  fair 
ly  gasped,  gave  one  surprised  look  and  quickly 
vanished  into  an  adjoining  room.  He  soon  re 
turned  accompanied  by  a  commonplace  looking 
gentleman  who  introduced  himself  as  H.  F. 
Rejome.  William  Norris  had  come  to  observe 
and  he  took  careful  notice  of  everything. 
When  the  two  guardians  of  justice,  the  one  of 
farthest  West,  the  other  of  the  East  clasped 
each  other's  hands  there  was  between  them  a 
manifest  feeling  of  sympathy  and  yet  their 
eyes  met  in  a  long  searching  look.  Why  this( 
mutual  examination?  thought  Mr.  Norris,  for 
these  men  were  not  rivals.  They  had  no  need 
to  measure  each  other's  strength  and  endur 
ance  in  a  possible  struggle  for  suprenmacy. 
Then  Mr.  Norris  noted  that  the  eyes  of  Mr. 
Rejome  dropped  first.  Does  the  eastern  guard 
ian  recognize  the  superiority  of  the  one  coming 
from  the  West?  Mr.  Norris  asked  inwardly. 
Does  he  feel  that  the  other  has  not  yet  fallen 
from  grace  and  wandered  from  the  path  of 
duty? 

When  Mr.  Rejome  asked  his  colleague  to 
come  into  his  private  office  he  became  for  the 
first  time  conscious  of  another's  presence. 
"Pardon  me  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  "I  was  so  much 
interested  in  the  meeting  of  my  esteemed  col 
league  that  I  did  not  realize  your  presence." 

"I  think  it  is  I  who  ought  to  apologize  for 
being  an  intruder,  but  I  wished  to  avail  myself 
of  this  favorable  opportunity  to  meet  the  re 
doubtable  district  attorney  of  New  York." 

"Many  thanks  for  the  kind  opinion,"  answer 
ed  Mr.  Rejome. 


304  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

When  they  were  seated  comfortably  in  the 
sanctum  of  Mr.  Rejome,  Mr.  Norris  expressed 
his  willingness  to  "efface"  himself  if  the  other 
two  had  any  confidences  to  exchange. 

"That  famous  declaration  of  Cicero,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Rejome,  "of  the  two  augurs  wink 
ing  confidentially  with  the  other  eye  when  they 
met  in  the  streets  of  Rome  has  done  a  good 
deal  of  harmi,  and  besides,  I  am  inclined  to 
doubt  Cicero's  viewpoint,  and  believe  that  these 
Roman  augurs  in  their  time  took  themselves  as 
seriously  as  do  Protestant  Ministers,  Catholic 
Priests,  Jewish  Rabbis,  or  for  that  matter,"  he 
continued  laughing,  "District  Attorneys  of 
today." 

"A  happy  comparison  indeed,"  said  Mr. 
Morgan  quite  amused,  "and  as  far  as  actual 
importance  is  concerned,  I  think  while  we  have 
a  little  more  influence  upon  the  result  than  did 
the  augur's  prophecies,  or  did  and  do  the  priest 
ly  incantations,  one  must  be  put  into  a  public 
office  to  realize  its  limitations." 

"You  have  found  that  out  already?"  asked 
Mr.  Rejome  in  a  sympathetic  voice.  "We  get 
nominal  power  and  actual  responsibility  and 
blame  from  people  unable  to  discern  the  inner 
connection  of  things.  I  am  really  glad  that  my 
term  of  office  will  soon  be  expired." 

"You  will  then  not  be  again  a  candidate  for 
another  term?"  asked  Mr.  Norris. 

"No,  and  I  am  enough  of  a  politician  to  see 
and  honest  enough  to  admit,  that,  if  I  were,  I 
would  not  be  elected.  Some  people,  I  know 
will  say  and  think  that  fear  of  defeat  kept  me 
from  running,  but  I  have  become  enough  of  a 
philosopher  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  public 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          305 

opinion.     Those  whom  you  benefit,"  he  contin 
ued,  "and  try  to  favor  become  your  enemies." 

"Just  as  it  is  written,"  remarked  Morgan, 
as  if  agreeing  with  the  other's  standpoint,  a 
man's  enemies  are  those  of  his  own  household." 

There  was  a  lull  in  the  conversation  and  Mr. 
Rejome  referred  to  some  legal  matter  that  was 
in  course  of  transaction  in  their  respective  of 
fices.  After  a  few  observations  Morgan  de 
clared:  "We  better  not  talk  shop,  Mr.  Rejome. 
These  things  can  be  arranged  by  our  assistants. 
I  came  to  bring  you  my  greetings  and  in  a 
sense  to  extend  to  you  my  sympathy,  although 
few  people  on  the  outside  would  think  either  of 
us  in  need  of  such,"  he  concluded  with  a 
strange  smile  as  he  arose  to  go. 

"Well,  you  will  call  again  before  you  leave, 
and  allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  my  family?" 

"I  cannot  tell,  we  are  on  our  way  to  Boston 
and  have  no  definite  plans  for  the  immediate 
future." 

"I  hope  you  will  call  at  least  on  your  return 
west,"  said  Mr.  Rejome  with  a  cordial  smile, 
"and  as  to  you,  Mr.  Norris,  I  shall  always  be 
ready  for  further  observations.  Are  you  not 
the  William  Norris  who  wrote  "The  Religion 
of  the  Future'?" 

"Plead  guilty,"  was  the  response  given  with 
a  light  bow. 

"Well,  the  district  attorney  at  his  office  or 
P.  R.  Rejome  in  his  home  will  feel  himself 
honored  by  a  future  visit  of  Mr.  Norris.  I 
have  read  your  book  with  pleasure  and  profit." 

"Praise  from  Caesar  is  praise  indeed,"  came 
from  the  lips  of  Norris  as  he  grasped  the  hand 
of  Rejome  which  was  cordially  extended. 


306  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Our  two  friends  returned  to  their  waiting 
auto  in  a  thoughtful  mood. 

"What  now?"  asked  Mr.  Norris.  "There  is 
time  for  me  to  make  a  few  calls  on  persons  that 
would  hardly  interest  you." 

"All  right/'  answered  Morgan,  "you  make 
your  calls  and  I  will  take  a  look  at  New  York." 

The  auto  stopped  and  John  Morgan  stepped 
to  the  sidewalk.  Leisurely  he  walked  through 
a  busy  thoroughfare  where  everybody  seemed 
to  be  in  a  tremendous  hurry.  Time  is  money, 
seemed  to  be  stamped  on  every  face.  Soon  his 
thoughts  left  his  immediate  surroundings  and 
wandered  off  to  the  city  of  Boston.  What 
awaited  him  there?  Would  he  realize  his  fond 
est  hopes?  As  a  rule  John  Morgan  was  not 
much  of  a  dreamer,  but  a  man  of  action,  con 
scious  of  his  purpose  and  accustomed  to  get 
straight  to  his  goal,  different  from  most  men 
and  women  who  are  mere  puppets  of  fortune, 
or  as  others  might  put  it,  of  their  environment, 
drifting  hither  and  thither,  ever  trying  to  trim 
their  sails  to  a  favorable  wind. 

The  aim  and  purpose  of  Mr.  Morgan  on  this 
eastern  trip  stood  clearly  before  his  mind.  It 
was  the  heart  and  hand  of  Marguerite  Lawson. 
He  had  good  cause  to  consider  himself  high  in 
the  esteem  of  the  woman  of  his  choice,  whom 
he  had  loved  for  years  without  hope,  and  a 
spirit  of  resignation,  enforced  by  a  strong  will 
and  a  deep  sense  of  honor,  but  now  when  the 
barrier  was  removed,  his  love  became  a  con 
flagration  that  threatened  to  consume  his  inner 
life.  He  realized  that  Mrs.  Lawson  was  under 
a  deep  obligation  to  him  but  he  had  decided  in 
his  mind  that  the  feeling  of  gratitude  should 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  307 

not  bring  the  realization  of  his  heart's  desire. 
He  wanted  to  give  at  least  as  much  as  he  would 
receive.  Thus  immersed  in  thought  and  with 
out  a  definite  direction  he  kept  on  walking  with 
out  paying  attention  to  where  he  was  going. 
Awakened  from  his  thoughts  by  a  passing  in 
cident,  he  looked  around.  Where  was  he?  He 
examined  his  watch  and  realized  that  it  was 
time  to  return  to  the  hotel.  He  could  have 
called  a  vehicle  and  be  taken  there,  but  he  felt 
like  walking  and  besides  he  was  always  of  an 
inquisitive  nature.  He  wanted  to  know  where 
he  was.  He  had  with  him  a  so-called  guide 
with  maps  and  he  tried  to  find  the  place  where 
he  stood.  The  sky  was  cloudy  and  the  thing 
that  puzzled  him  was  the  direction  of  North 
and  South.  He  looked  around  to  make  inquiry. 
At  the  opposite  corner  he  saw  a  man  standing 
whose  dress  and  general  appearance  indicated 
the  man  of  business.  Map  in  hand  he  crossed 
over  and  politely  giving  the  information  that 
he  was  a  stranger  he  asked  for  the  direction  of 
north  and  south.  The  man  looked  up  in  sur 
prise.  He  examined  his  interrogator  and  then 
the  surroundings. 

"Well,  I  was  born  in  New  York/'  he  said  in 
a  hesitating  tone  of  voice,  "and  can  probably 
direct  you  to  any  place  you  wish,  but  as  to 
north  and  south  I  really  don't  know.  This  way 
is  West  and  this  way  is  East,"  he  continued 
pointing  in  opposite  directions,  "and  this  we 
call  Up  and  this  we  call  Down,  but  about  north 
and  south  that  I  cannot  tell." 

John  B.  felt  amused.  Seized  with  the  spirit 
of  investigation  he  stopped  a  man  who  was 


308  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

passing  by  and  asked  about  the  directions  of 
the  compass. 

"This  way  is  Up  and  this  way  is  Down/' 
was  again  all  the  information  he  could  obtain 
for  north  and  south.  He  tried  another.  This 
man  wore  a  chapeau  claque  and  patent  leather 

shoes.  "Go  to  H "  was  the  answer  to  his 

inquiry.  Just  then  he  saw  a  policeman,  one  of 
New  York's  finest.  The  face  was  Irish  and 
John  in  the  most  suave  tone  of  voice  he  could 
command  asked  this  guardian  of  the  law  for  in 
formation  about  north  and  south.  The  man  in 
blue  got  angry.  "Do  you  think  you  can  kid  me, 
my  good  fellow?  Look  out  or  I  will  put  you 
in  the  wagon."  John  burst  out  laughing  and 
then  signalled  to  a  cab  that  was  standing  at  the 
next  corner.  When  the  man  in  blue  saw  his  in 
terrogator  call  this  vehicle  he  became  uneasy. 
He  walked  towards  Mr.  Morgan  and  said 
humbly.  "Mr.  I  meant  no  offense." 

Mr.  Morgan  reassured  him  with  a  kindly 
look  and  said,  "You  are  all  right  sir,  no  offense 
was  taken.  I  believe  I  was  a  little  too  inquisi 
tive  myself." 

When  Morgan  gave  the  name  of  his  hotel  the 
driver  started  off  without  hesitation,  but  when 
John  asked  once  more  for  the  direction  of  north 
and  south  he  met  with  the  same  puzzled  ex 
pression.  "I  know  New  York  as  well  as  the 
best  of  them.  I  know  east  and  west,  up  and 
down,  but  north  and  south  we  dont't  have  in 
New  York." 

John  at  first  had  felt  inclined  to  treat  the  in 
cident  as  a  joke  and  feel  amused  at  the  igno 
rance  of  New  Yorkers  as  to  the  cardinal  dir 
ections,  but  a  second  reflection  showed  a  dif- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          309 

ferent  aspect.  What  must  be  the  life  of  these 
people?  What  must  be  their  interest  and  know 
ledge  of  things  and  of  the  planet  on  which 
they  were  born  if  they  have  neither  time 
nor  desire  to  find  out  the  directions  of  the 
heavens. 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Aice  De  Ruiz  were  seated 
in  their  common  parlor  discussing  philosophi 
cal  problems  and  theories  when  a  messenger 
boy  brought  a  dispatch  to  Mrs.  Lawson.  Neg 
ligently  she  broke  the  envelope,  her  mind  and 
lips  still  engaged  in  conversation  with  her 
friend,  but  her  speech  came  to  an  abrupt  end 
when  her  eye  took  in  the  contents  of  the  tele 
gram  and  the  signature  attached.  For  a  few 
seconds  she  sat  in  silence  with  a  vacant  look 
indicating  deep  absorption  and  emotion.  Re 
covering  from  her  abstraction  her  eyes  met  the 
inquiring  look  of  her  friend  and  without  say 
ing  a  word  she  handed  her  the  paper.  A  deep 
crimson  blush  was  succeeded  by  a  deathly  pal 
lor  an  the  transparent  face  of  Alice  De  Ruiz 
as  she  in  turn  read  the  message  sent  by  Mr. 
Morgan  and  Mr.  Norris.  A  few  minutes  pass 
ed  in  silence.  The  ticking  of  the  clock  was  the 
only  audible  movement. 

"Have  you  any  arrangement  to  suggest?" 
finally  came  from  the  lips  of  Mrs.  Lawson. 

Alice  De  Ruiz  shook  her  head.  "Let  fortune 
rule,"  she  said  half  to  herself,  half  to  her 
friend. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CUPID'S  VICTORIES 

The  fates  were  kindly  disposed.  William 
Norris  and  Alice  De  Ruiz  recognized  at  their 
first  meeting  that  all  misunderstandings  were 
removed.  The  inner  harmony,  without  which 
true  love  cannot  exist  and  much  less  be  of  dura 
tion,  was  reflected  from  the  eyes  of  both.  A  true 
woman  is  not  prudish.  When  she  loves  and 
finds  her  love  reciprocated  she  gives  herself 
without  reserve.  The  man  worthy  of  such  a 
love  is  the  protector  of  the  honor  and  mutual 
respect  of  both.  Ensured  of  every  bliss  that 
love  can  bring  he  is  careful  lest  any  word  and 
deed  might  cause  to  shrink  the  sensitive  soul 
of  his  beloved.  He  knows  that  the  purer  the 
white,  the  deeper  and  more  clearly  visible  be 
comes  a  spot  of  dust. 

For  reasons  difficult  to  explain  the  same 
clearness  was  not  at  once  established  in  the 
relations  of  John  Morgan  and  Mrs.  Lawson. 
Woman  is  man's  superior,  not  only  in  the  arts 
of  love,  but  in  all  its  manifestations.  Intuition 
is  her  guide  and  whenever  that  guide  is  follow 
ed  it  will  not  lead  astray.  Man  vacillates,  he 
is  uncertain.  Of  him  more  than  of  her  holds 
good  the  poet's  verse :  "Erst  Himmelhoch 
yauchzend  dann  zu  Tode  betrubt."  Mrs.  Law- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  311 

son  was  free  from  uncertainty  and  hesitation 
after  the  first  glance  of  the  eye,  the  first  pres 
sure  of  the  hand. 

Today  our  friends  are  seated  in  the  parlor 
and  engaged  in  an  animated  conversation.  Mr. 
Norris  was  relating  some  incidents  in  his  voy 
age  around  the  world  with  the  eyes  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz  resting  upon  him  in  silent  admiration 
and  deeply  interested  in  the  story,  when  a 
glance  of  the  eye,  a  happy  look  of  mutual 
understanding  was  caught  in  transit  both  by 
Mr.  Morgan  and  by  Mrs.  Lawson.  Their  eyes 
met.  A  smile  played  around  the  lips  of  Mrs. 
Lav/son  as  she  in  turn  sent  a  look  of  interro 
gation  to  John  Morgan  that  made  the  blood 
rush  violently  to  his  forehead  only  to  leave 
quickly  and  make  room  for  a  deadly  pallor. 
Without  looking  at  Mr.  Morgan  Mrs.  Lawson 
saw,  or  rather  felt,  the  quick  changes  of  that 
usually  so  impassive  countenance  and  was  not 
in  the  least  doubtful  of  its  significance.  John 
then  gave  an  anxious  and  searching  look  which 
was  met  again  with  a  smile  of  lips  and  eye 
that  made  an  end  of  doubts  and  vacillation. 
After  Norris  had  finished  his  story  Mr.  Mor 
gan  remarked  that  he  wanted  to  discuss  some 
personal  affairs  with  Mrs.  Lawson  and  as  the 
two  left  the  room  he  said  with  an  insinuating 
look  at  Miss  De  Ruiz,  ''I  suppose  you  two  will 
not  be  sorry  to  be  left  alone  for  a  little  while." 
Alice  De  Ruiz  first  glanced  at  Morgan  and  then 
at  Mrs.  Lawson  and  her  womanly  instinct  took 
in  the  situation  at  once. 

"Well  I  think  I  will  imitate  my  coadjutor, 
Mr.  Heine,"  she  then  said  smiling,  "and  say,  I'll 


312  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

be  good  and  not  retaliate,"  as  the  two  left  the 
room. 

When  the  two  felt  themselves  alone,  Morgan 
turned  to  Mrs.  Lawson  and  in  a  tone  vibrating 
with  emotion  he  said  slowly,  "Am  I  really  to 
become  the  happiest  man  in  the  world?" 

"As  far  as  I  can  make  him,"  was  the  joyful 
answer. 

When  after  about  an  hour's  absence  they  re 
turned  to  the  parlor  they  proclaimed  their  en 
gagement  to  their  friends,  and  the  eye  of  Alice 
De  Ruiz  said  to  Mr.  Norris,  was  I  not  right? 

"One  good  turn  deserves  another,"  then  de 
clared  Mr.  Norris,  "and  as  I  am  always  happy 
to  reciprocate  a  favor  I  hereby  announce  my 
engagement  to  Miss  Alice  De  Ruiz." 

The  women  embraced  and  the  men  shook 
hands. 

"Can  you  take  a  ride  to  the  country  this 
afternoon,  "Miss  Lenz?"  asked  Mr.  Heine. 

"I  think  I  can.  Mrs.  Lawson  and  Miss  De 
Ruiz  have  gone  sight  seeing  in  the  city  with 
their  visitors  ,and  I  have  just  been  thinking  that 
it  would  be  salutary  and  sensible  to  change  the 
dust-laden  atmosphere  of  the  city  for  the  fresh 
air  of  hill  and  valley.  The  day  reminds  me  of 
an  old  German  song. 

Der   Mai   ist   gekommen,   die   Baeume   schlagen 

aus, 
Da  bleibe  wer  Lust  hat  mit  Sorgen  zu  Haus. 

An  hour  later  they  took  the  Elevated  to  the 
so-called  Dudley  Street  Terminal,  where  they 
tried  for  some  time  in  vain  to  reach  the  right 
exit,  and  Mr.  Heine  remarked  half  vexed,  and 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          313 

half  humorously,  "I  wonder  whether  the  ar 
chitect  of  this  structure  was  a  reincarnation  of 
Kapeth,  the  reputed  builder  of  the  Egyptian 
Labyrinth,"  but  before  Miss  Lenz  could  answer 
they  saw  an  opening  and  without  further  diffi 
culty  they  reached  the  car.  Swiftly  they  rode 
throught  the  rest  of  the  city,  passing  Franklin 
Park  and  the  beautiful  suburb  of  Mattapan. 
Our  friends  occasionally  called  each  other's  at 
tention  to  a  pasing  incident,  but  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  journey  they  kept  silent,  busy  with 
their  own  thoughts.  Acquaintancs  make  efforts, 
sometimes  mutually  painful  to  keep  up  a 
friendly  conversation,  while  friends  can  share 
each  other's  thoughts  without  the  vehicle  of 
spoken  words. 

After  they  had  alighted  from  the  car,  oppo 
site  the  mountain,  the  favorite  spot  of  Mr. 
Heine,  this  gentleman  expanded  his  chest,  took 
a  deep  breath  and  looking  around  joyfully,  he 
said  in  an  exalted  tone  of  roice,  "This  world  is 
beautiful  after  all." 

"I  have  found  that  out  long  ago,"  was  the 
placid  rejoinder,  "and  if  you  were  less  troubled 
with  schemes  to  improve  it  you  would  have 
spared  yourself  a  good  deal  of  useless  anxiety." 

"Our  duty  is  to  promote  the  welfare  of  hu 
manity,"  protested  Mr.  Heine. 

"But  not  to  insist  too  strongly  on  our  own 
method  in  this  useful  endeavor." 

"You  intimated  some  time  ago  that  you 
might  join  the  Socialist  party,"  again  said 
Heine  trying  to  defend  his  viewpoint. 

"We'd  better  not  talk  politics,"  answered  Miss 
Lenz  calmly.  "The  day  is  too  beautiful  to  think 
of  material  things,  even  of  political  economy." 


314  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Mr.  Heine  was  satisfied.  He  had  not  come 
to  the  country  for  a  political  discussion,  not 
even  on  his  favorite  topic  of  Socialism.  The 
example  of  Mr.  Morgan  and  Mrs.  Lawson  and 
of  Mr.  Norris  and  Miss  De  Ruiz  had  exercised 
a  stimulating  effect  and  brought  to  a  climax  a 
resolve  made  long  ago.  When  they  had  found 
a  favorable  spot,  our  two  friends  seated  them 
selves  on  the  grass  and  for  a  few  minutes  they 
admired  in  silence  the  surrounding  landscape. 
Then  Mr.  Heine  half  playfully  tried  to  take 
hold  of  the  hand  of  his  companion,  but  the  lat 
ter  quickly  withdrew  it  and  gave  him  a  look  of 
light  reproach. 

"I  don't  think  there  is  another  girl  in  the 
world  who  would  be  so  discouraging/'  finally 
said  Mr.  Heine  with  a  troubled  look. 

Miss  Lenz  made  no  answer  and  for  a  few 
minutes  the  two  sat  in  deep  silence,  which  was 
again  broken  by  Mr.  Heine  who  spoke  in  a 
voice  soft  and  pleading  which  few  of  his 
friends  would  have  considered  him  capable  of, 
"You  must  know  Miss  Lenz  how  I  feel  and 
you  must  long  have  known  that  I  love  you  and 
now  when  everybody  around  me  is  happy,  why 
should  I  be  deprived?" 

Miss  Lenz  for  a  few  seconds  looked  deeply 
into  the  eyes  of  her  companion,  then  she  said 
slowly,  yet  somewhat  hesitatingly,  "We  ought 
not  be  like  other  people ;  we  must  be  beyond 
the  reach  of  physical  attraction.  You  spoke 
some  time  ago,"  she  then  continued,  "very  dis 
respectfully  of  a  so-called  Metaphysical  moun 
tain,  this  Metaphysical  mountain  might  be  only 
in  the  imagination,  but  you  know  there  are 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  315 

Theosophical   heights   which   we   have    resolved 
to  climb." 

"Could  we  not  help  each  other,  or  will  you 
not  consent  to  help  me  in  this  ascent?" 

A  tear  came  into  the  soft  eyes  of  Miss  Lenz 
as  she  answered  mildly,  "Do  you  think  your 
love  is  sufficiently  pure  and  spiritual?  You 
know  the  law  that  holds  sway  on  the  spiritual 
mountain  tops." 

"I  feel  sure  that  at  your  side  I  would  suc 
ceed." 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  again  a  deep 
silence,  then  Mr.  Heine  again  took  hold  of  the 
hand  of  his  companion  which  this  time  remain 
ed  in  his  own.  Then  Miss  Lenz  said  in  a  very 
thoughtful  tone  of  voice,  "Some  time  ago  you 
read  me  an  acrostic  which  you  had  made  for 
another.  Do  you  remember  it?" 

"I  do,"  was  the  answer,  and  Mr.  Heine  deep 
ly  moved  recited  the  poem. 

Many  wish  earth's  goods  in  plenty, 
All  the  sweets  and  joys  of  life, 
Reaching  out  for  pleasure  empty 
In  which  is  naught  but  grief  and  strife 
Enslaving  what's  immortal. 

Can  you,  will  you  soar  with  me, 

And  climb  the  heights  of  truth  and  wisdom, 

Heart  and  soul  from  discord  free 

In  the  muses'  beautiful  kingdom? 

Let  love  be  our  bond  eternal 

Leading  us  to  life  immortal. 


316  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

As  he  recited  the  poem  he  looked  with  im 
ploring  eyes  at  Miss  Lenz  and  after  he  had 
finished  Miss  Lenz  said  in  a  voice  which  be 
trayed  deep  emotion  "What  I  want  to  ask  you 
now  is  not  did  you  feel  these  words  then,  but 
rather  do  you  feel  them  now  and  do  you  think 
that  you  can  translate  them  into  your  life?" 

"With  your  help,  yes." 

A  thrush  was  singing  its  joyful  lovcsong  in 
the  branches  of  a  tree,  the  grass  and  the  flowers 
were  giving  out  their  fragrance  thus  making  a 
scene  fit  for  the  union  of  two  souls  striving  to 
climb  the  path  that  leads  to  heights  unknown. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

NEW    ASPECTS    OF   THEOSOPHY 

The  relations  between  Mr.  John  Morgan 
and  Mr.  Heine  were  cordial  from  the  start. 
They  seemed  to  feel  a  mutual  attraction,  the 
one  was  a  theoretical  the  other  a  practical  poli 
tician. 

"I  hear,  Mr.  Heine,"  said  Mr.  Morgan  one 
evening  as  our  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  seat 
ed  in  the  parlor,  "that  you  are  a  Theosophist 
and  a  Socialist.  Are  not  these  two  positions 
somewhat  inconsistent?" 

"How  so?"  came  the  quick  rejoinder. 

"Is  not  Theosophy  highly  spiritual,  or  at 
least  supposed  to  be  so  and  Socialism  material 
istic?" 

"Your  diagnosis  is  accepted,  but  where  is 
the  inconsistency?  Man  is  here  to  gain  exper 
ience  in  matter.  Did  not  one  of  the  world's 
greatest  materialists  write  a  book  entitled 
'From  Matter  to  Spirit?'  As  a  Socialist 
I  work  to  provide  mankind  with  the 
best  basis  for  unfoldment  in  matter,  which  in 
turn  will  furnish  the  best  environment  for  the 
soul's  progress  in  her  evolution  to  perfection." 

"Would  other  Socialists  express  themselves 
in  this  manner?" 

317 


318  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"Not  exactly.  Most  Socialists  are,  what 
might  be  called,  materialists,  they  highly  esteem 
such  men  as  Haeckel,  Buchner  or  Darwin,  but 
a  man  need  not  endorse  this  predilection  and 
yet  agree  with  their  political  and  economical 
views.  Socialism  as  such,  has  no  more  to  do 
with  religion  or  psychology  than  Theosophy 
has  with  political  forms  of  government.  There 
is,  in  my  opinion  not  only  no  inconsistency  in 
belonging  at  the  same  time  to  the  Socialist 
party  and  the  Theosophical  Society,  but  I  main 
tain  that  one  is  a  complement  of  the  other,  that 
until  the  forces  working  for  material  welfare 
unite  with  those  working  for  spiritual  progress, 
a  civilization  based  upon  harmony  cannot  be 
established." 

"And  do  you  believe  in  the  pretentious  of 
Madame  Blavatsky  and  in  those  of  Annie  Be- 
sant  who  claims  to  be  the  incarnation  of  Hypa- 
tia  and  Giordano  Bruno  ?"  asked  Mr.  Morgan. 

"Annie  Besant  never  made  any  such  claims. 
If  she  had  I  would  be  willing  to  accept  them. 
The  history  and  character  of  Annie  Besant  are 
to  me  a  guarantee  of  her  integrity  and  sincer 
ity.  There  are  many  strange  things  in  this 
\vorld,"  continued  Heine  thoughtfully,  "that  is, 
some  things  seem  strange  and  wonderful  and 
nearly  miraculous,  which  become  natural  and 
commonplace  with  usage  and  explanation.  The 
telegraph  and  the  telephone  are  the  best  illus 
trations  of  that  principle,  and  if  such  is  the 
case  in  the  world  of  matter  what  surprises 
might  not  be  in  store  for  us  in  the  realm  of 
the  spirit  and  occult?  An  examination  will  re 
veal  some  strange  things.  Sometimes  we  find  a 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  319 

thread  where  least  expected.  What  will  you 
say,  Mr.  Morgan,  when  I  tell  you  that  Hypatia 
whom  you  just  mentioned  and  who  was  killed 
by  an  ig-norant  mob  of  Christians  at  the  insti 
gation  of  Bishop  Cyril  is  found  in  the  Catholic 
calendar  of  Saints  as  Saint  Catherine  and  that 
the  Hindu  Gautama,  the  founder  of  Buddhism, 
15  found  there  as  Saint  Josaphat." 

"I  will  say  incredibilissime." 

"Yet  you  will  find  my  statement  about  Saint 
Katherine  and  Hypatia  verified  in  the  Ency 
clopedia  Britannica  and  the  identity  of  Gauta 
ma  with  Saint  Josephat  is  recorded  in  S.  Bar 
ing-Gould's  Lives  of  the  Saints." 

"Any  explanation?" 

"Occult." 

'Can  you  give  me  a  precise  meaning  of  this 


word  j 


am  not  surprised  at  this  question,  Mr. 
Morgan,  for  when  I  had  occasion  to  look  up 
this  word  recently  I  felt  very  dissatisfied  with 
the^  definition  given.  In  Webster's  Unabridged 

I  found  for  occult  "hidden,  unknown,  invis 
ible,"  and  for  occultism  I  found  in  the  same 
book  a  definition  furnished  by  A.  P.  Sinnett, 
one  of  the  oldest  members  of  our  Society,  an 
associate  of  Madame  Blavatsky,  "a  certain  'Or- 
jental  system  of  Theosophy."  Neither  definition 
is  to  me  quite  satisfactory  and  I  object  most  to 
Sinnett's  limitation  of  occultism  by  the  words 
Oriental  and  Theosophy.  If  I  would  write  a  dic 
tionary  I  would  add  to  the  definition  of  occult 

invisible  to  physical  eyes,"  and   for  occultism 
would    give,    "the    science    of    the    invisible, 
transmitted  orally  by  initiates  to  initiates." 


320  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

"From  what  you  say  I  might  conclude  then, 
that  you  claim  for  Theosophy  or  rather,  your 
Society,  the  possession  of  knowledge  not  yet, 
and  that  may  not  be,  revealed  to  a  sinful  world," 
remarked  Mr.  Morgan  with  a  strong  touch  of 
sarcasm.  "And  would  not  such  action,"  he  then 
continued,  "indicate  a  disregard  for  others 
thirsty  for  knowledge?" 

"In  answer  to  the  second  part  of  your  state 
ment,  I  would  say  it  is  written,  'knock  and  it 
will  be  opened  unto  you/  and  to  the  first  part 
I  will  give  the  words  of  the  Master  Himself, 
'to  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,  to  them  I  speak  in  parables',  or  refer 
you  to  the  letters  of  St.  Paul  to  Timothy. 
These  Epistles  must  be  read  in  Greek  in  order 
to  be  fully  appreciated,  and  I  supplement  this 
with  the  statement,  'you  cannot  teach  a  person 
calculus  before  he  has  learned  algebra.'  ' 

"Do  you  actually  believe  then,  Mr.  Heine, 
in  the  supernatural  existence  of  beings,  of 
Mahatmas  with  whom  Madame  Blavatsky  was, 
and  with  whom  Annie  Besant  now  is  supposed 
to  hold  communication?" 

"I  do  not,"  was  the  prompt  rejoinder,  "but 
if  you  substitute  the  word  superhuman  for  sup 
ernatural,  I  do." 

"Let  us  accept  your  word.  Can  you  give  a 
further  explanation  of  these  Mahatmas?" 

"They  are  beings  who  having  passed  through 
the  human  the  same  as  man  has  passed  through 
the  animal  stage  and  who,  instead  of  enjoying 
the  heavenly  bliss  in  the  higher  regions,  volun 
tarily  asumed  the  task  to  guide  the  steps  of 
humanity." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  321 

"And  it  has  taken  them  all  these  thousands 
of  years  to  find  a  vehicle  for  their  activity  in 
Madame  Blavatsky,  who  for  that  purpose  had 
to  found  the  Theosophical  Society  with  its 
couple  of  thousand  members !"  exclaimed  John 
Morgan  fairly  amazed. 

"Wrong  again,"  was  the  unperturbed  answer 
of  Mr.  Heine,  who  then  continued,  "I  am  sur 
prised  Mr.  Morgan  at  your  quick  conclusions. 
These  superhuman  beings,  Masters  of  Wisdom 
and  Compassion,  as  they  are  called  in  our  lit 
erature,  have  been  watching  over  the  cradle  of 
the  race  millions  of  years  ago;  according  to  our 
teaching  Krishna,  Zarathustra,  Buddha,  Lao- 
tze,  Christ,  were  their  representatives  and 
Their  missionaries,  so  were  Swedenborg  and 
Bohme  given  a  candle  by  the  same  Fraternity." 

"Any  tangible  proofs    for  this   assertion?" 

"Sufficiency  of  proof  depends  upon  the  men 
tal  status,  the  brains  of  judge  and  jury,  as  you 
well  know.  What  might  seem  sufficient  proof 
to  a  judicially  undeveloped  mind  might  be  dis 
regarded  by  a  competent  judge  as  irrelevant  to 
the  case,  and  what  should  be  strong  and  con 
clusive  evidence  to  a  trained  legal  mind  might 
be  above  the  recognition  of  an  uneducated 
farmer  or  laborer." 

"Your  acumen  on  these  points  is  the  more 
surprising  after  your  ready  acceptance  of  Ma- 
hatmas,"  declared  Mr.  Morgan  smilingly,  "but 
could  you  give  us  some  of  your  inner 
evidence?"  he  pleaded  ironically. 

"The  most  tangible  evidence  is  the  gift  itself 
received  from  the  Master.  A  close  scrutiny 
will  soon  reveal  a  common  origin.  Examine 
the  teachings  of  Krishna  and  Christ,  even  the 


322  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

name  here  is  derived  from  the  same  source,  of 
Laotze,  the  Chinese  teacher  and  Jesus,  the  Jew 
the  Christ  of  the  Christians.  You  will  find  in 
the  teachings  of  these  men,  or  representatives 
of  the  gods  as  we  Theosophists  might  call 
them,  one  special  pearl,  given  practically  in  the 
same  setting,  the  same  words.  'Be  good  to 
them  that  hate  you,  love  your  enemy,  repay 
evil  with  good.  "  "But  I  am  willing  to  admit 
that  the  final  and  decisive  proofs  must  be  fur 
nished  by  the  investigator  himself  to  himself, 
through  the  opening  of  his  intuition,  his  high 
er  or  spiritual  consciousness.  You  may  point 
out  a  beautiful  landscape  to  a  mind  unsuscep 
tible  to  the  beauties  of  nature  and  he  may  ex 
claim  especially  if  he  sees  the  admiring  looks  of 
others,  'how  beautiful' :  but  in  reality  he  sees 
nothing,  and  in  his  heart  he  will  look  upon  these 
others  as  shams  like  himself  or  as  fools.  It  will 
happen  but  seldom  that  a  man  will  acknowledge 
to  himself  the  mental  or  spiritual  superiority  of 
another  and  will  admit  that  others  see  things 
physically  or  spiritually  invisible  to  him." 

"A  special  illumination  then  is  necessary, 
and  have  you  and  your  fellow  Theosophists 
received  them  from  your  Mahatmas?" 

"An  illumination  might  have  many  degrees 
and  I  have  no  doubt  if  you  with  legal  acumen 
would  apply  yourself  to  the  investigation  of  the 
subject,  that  the  degree  of  illumination  neces 
sary  to  perceive  the  essential  principles  of 
Theosophy  will  be  accorded  to  you/' 

"Only  the  essential  principles?"  asked  Mor 
gan  with  a  touch  of  sarcasm. 

"Essential  things  fully  grasped,  the  non-es 
sential  is  easily  understood." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          323 

"Could  you  not  tell  us  something  of  your  in 
ner  evidence?"  again  insisted  Mr.  Morgan. 

"There  is  so  much,  and  it  is  so  difficult  to 
select  the  material  most  suitable,"  answered 
Mr.  Heine  evasively,  "but,"  he  continued,  "did 
you  never  recognize  and  marvel  at  the  exis 
tence  of  the  wonderful  beacon  lights  that  illu 
mine  the  path  of  human  history;  did  it  never 
strike  you  as  strange  when  from  such  resplen 
dent  flames  some  other  lights  had  been  lit,  how 
these  other  lights  became  dim  in  course  of  time 
and  that  when  it  wandered  from  its  source  and 
was  in  danger  of  extinction  a  new  light  made 
his  appearance." 

"I  don't  know  that  such  a  thing  obtruded  it 
self  on  my  mind  in  my  study  of  history." 

"You  then  overlooked  some  very  significant 
factors  in  the  evolution  of  the  race.  To  be 
explicit  I  will  say,  that  with  my  expression 
Beacon  lights  I  meant  such  characters  as 
Krishna,  Zarathrustra  or  Jesus.  But  even  if 
we  examine  secular  and  material  history  we 
find  illustrations  of  my  so-called  Beacon  lights. 
Look  at  the  figures  of  a  Pythagaros  or  a  Plato, 
how  many  candles  have  been  lit  from  their  res 
plendent  flames !  or  look  at  the  light  of  Whit 
man,  just  beginning  to  be  diffused.  Did  you 
ever  reflect  upon  the  period  in  Greek  history 
called  the  age  of  Pericles?  Were  you  not  sur 
prised  at  the  many  stars  of  first  magnitude  in 
that  constellation  on  the  Athenian  heaven?  The 
number  is  so  large,  the  names  are  so  many  that 
I  can  only  give  a  few,  Aeshylus,  Sophocles, 
Euripides,  the  tragedians;  Zeno,  Protagaros, 
Socrates,  the  philosophers;  that  these  together 
with  Phidias  the  sculptor,  Plato  the  father  of 


324  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

philosophy,  Herodotus  the  father  of  history 
should  have  lived  at  one  and  the  same  time ! 
Did  it  not  strike  you  as  strange  that  such  men 
as  Laotze  and  Confucius,  Gautama,  Buddha 
and  Pythagoras  should  have  been  contempor 
aries?  You  expressed  surprise  a  little  while 
ago,  Mr.  Morgan,  at  my  belief  in  the  existence 
of  divine  teachers  called  Mahatmas,  what  will 
you  think  of  my  credulity  when  I  tell  you  that 
a  new  Christ,  or  rather  the  same  Christ  is  soon 
to  appear  in  the  form  of  man,  and  that  it  is  the 
mission  of  the  Theosophical  Society  to  'cry 
out  in  the  wilderness'  as  we  read  in  the  history 
of  John  the  Baptist  and  like  him  'prepare  the 
way  and  make  clear  the  path'." 

Mr.  Morgan  and  the  others  looked  in 
amazement  at  Mr.  Heine  and  the  ladies  were 
touched  by  his  earnest  and  nearly  prophetic 
tone  of  voice,  so  different  from  the  lightness 
with  which  Mr.  Heine  treated  most  other 
subjects. 

"I  will  admit,  Mr.  Heine,"  then  said  Morgan, 
"that  you  are  a  good  advocate  for  you  have 
nearly  persuaded  me  that  something  might  after 
all  be  contained  in  your  philosophy." 

"Investigate  still  further,  Mr.  Morgan,  and 
you  will  find  out  that  my  philosophy  or  rather 
Theosophy  will  shed  light  on  many  perplexing 
questions." 

Mr.  Norris  had  been  a  silent  listener  and 
had  followed  with  deep  interest  the  dialogue 
between  Mr.  Morgan  and  Mr.  Heine  and  now 
he  thought  the  time  had  come  for  him  to  take 
a  part  in  the  discussion,  and  in  a  voice  indicat 
ing  strong  premeditation  he  declared,  "I  have 
listened  with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  and  I  will 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          325 

say  profit  to  the  mental  combat  of  my  two 
friends  and  I  will  make  Mr.  Heine  the  compli 
ment  that  in  a  sense  he  has  come  out  best,  not 
because  he  is  a  better  pleader  but  because  he 
knows  more  of  the  case  involved  than  my 
legally  trained  friend.  But  I  also  have  given 
the  subject  of  Metaphysics  and  Psychology 
and  what  is  called  Theosophy  and  Occultism 
considerable  thought,  and  I  agree  with  the  prin 
cipal  deductions  drawn  from  these  sources. 
The  teachings  of  Theosophy  are  found  in  the 
works  of  the  world's  greatest  thinkers  and  its 
essential  teaching,  such  as  Reincarnation,  with 
its  corollary,  Karma,  has  been  accepted  by  the 
thinkers  of  the  past  and  is  being  more  and  more 
recognized  by  those  of  the  present ;  but  I  re 
fuse  to  accept  the  Theosophical  Society  as  a 
specially  ordained  channel  for  the  propagation 
of  these  teachings.  Are  you  aware  of  the  fact, 
Mr.  Heine,"  he  then  continued,  "that  all  ac 
counts  of  impartial  men  make  Madame  Blav- 
atsky  a  common  adventuress  who  was  unmask 
ed  by  Mr.  Hodgson,  an  agent  of  the  Psychical 
Research  Society?" 

"I  have  heard  these  statements,  or  rather 
accusations  before,  Mr.  Norris,  and  I  am  some 
what  surprised  at  your  repeating  them.  Will 
you  kindly  call  to  your  mind  the  reception  of 
Jesus  by  his  fellow  townsmen  of  Nazareth,  or 
if  this  reference  to  a  hoary  past  seems  too  dis 
tant  I  would  like  to  show  you  some  newspaper 
clippings  of  criticism  on  the  writings  of  Walt 
Whitman.  Are  you  aware  of  the  fact,  Mr. 
Norris,  that  the  outcry  against  that  immoral 
and  ungodly  Whitman  and  his  sacrilegious 
writings  had  become  so  strong  that  the  Attor- 


326  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ney  General  of  Massachusetts  forbade  the  pub 
lication  of  Whitman's  works  in  this  common 
wealth?  This  example  ought  to  make  us  caut 
ious  in  accepting  too  readily  the  judgment  of 
contemporaries  or  even  associates,  and  then 
Mr.  Norris  you  know  what  it  is  to  write  an  or 
dinary  newspaper  item  or  an  article  for  the 
magazines,  or  a  scientific  treatise.  You  know 
the  concentration  of  mind  requisite  to  do  any 
of  these  things.  You  must  know  that  while 
the  writer  may  draw  his  data  from  an  encyclo 
pedia  or  book  of  statistics  yet  the  essential 
parts  for  the  work  must  be  supplied  by  him 
self  from  a  hidden  reservoir  in  his  own  con 
sciousness;  ex  nihilo  nihil  fit.  If  anybody  pro 
duces  anything  of  any  merit  whatsoever  it  must 
come  from  that  reservoir.  Now,  look  at  the 
work  performed  by  Madame  Blavatsky,  ex 
amine  the  books  given  the  world  under  her 
name.  While  it  is  true  that  she  declines  the 
honor  of  ordinary  authorship  and  claims  spe 
cial  inspiration,  could  she  expect  to  increase  her 
personal  reputation  by  ascribing  her  work  to 
an  outside  agency?  Someone  might  maintain 
that  it  was  done  to  promote  the  sale  of  the  book 
and  increase  the  financial  compensation.  My 
answer  is  that  only  a  fool,  and  not  even  the 
enemies  of  Madame  Blavatsky  ever  called  her 
such,  would  expect  a  monetary  return  from 
such  books  as  the  "Secret  Doctrine"  and  "Isis 
Unveiled".  For  a  proof  of  Mahomet's  pro- 
phetship,  Mohamedans,  and  I  think  justly, 
point  to  the  pages  of  the  "Koran".  Where,  Mr. 
Norris,  in  the  pages  of  history,  in  the  long  an 
nals  of  humanity  will  you  find  a  single  record 
of  any  man  devoting  himself  for  years  to  a 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          327 

laborious  task  and  undergoing  hardships  of  all 
kinds  for  the  sake  of  the  propaganda  or  pro 
mulgation  of  a  conscious  lie?" 

"The  world,  Mr  Heine,  has  seen  and  un 
masked  many  pretenders  and  many  strange  for 
geries." 

"You  refute  yourself,  Mr.  Norris,  when  you 
say,  'the  world  has  unmasked  many  pretendeis 
and  forgeries/  Can  you  point  to  anything  tan 
gible  that  has  stood  the  test  of  time,  and  has 
been  produced  by  your  pretenders?" 

"I  cannot  think  of  anything  special  just  now, 
but  can  you  deny  the  existence  of  frauds  and 
fakirs?"  asked  Mr.  Norris. 

"Minime,  Cicero  would  say,  but  I  maintain 
that  such  pretenders  were,  and  necessarily  had 
to  be,  of  small  mental  calibre,  who  despairing 
of  producing  anything  valuable  themselves, 
had  recourse  to  things  extraneous,  to  fraud 
and  deceit.  No  person  of  merit  or  even  a  mind 
in  whom  is  not  yet  dead  completely  the  spark 
which  cometh  from  above  cares  to  shine  with 
borrowed  feathers,  or  could  endure  to  lead  the 
life  of  a  fraud  even  if  outwardly  successful. 
We  find  today  in  some  writings  the  names  of 
Cagliostro,  Paracelus  and  St.  Germain  given 
as  impudent  charlatans,  but  I  feel  convinced 
that  these  names  will  yet  be  vindicated." 

"But  have  you  no  explanation  at  all  to  offer 
at  such  a  strange  occurence  that  a  trained 
favorably  disposed  investigator  as  Mr.  Hodg 
son  should  issue  such  an  absolutey  untrust 
worthy  report  which  is  accepted  as  true  in  the 
Encyclopedia  Britannica,  the  most  widely  cir 
culated  book  of  reference?  Should  not  the  sup-- 


328  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

ernormal  powers  of  Madame  Blavatsky  have 
been  able  to  prevent  such  a  misfortune,  such 
an  obstacle  to  the  acceptance  of  her  mission?" 

"What  if  only  such  were  wanted  who  would 
recognize  the  light  by  a  kindred  flame  within 
that  such  as  were  swayed  by  an  article  in  the 
Encyclopedia  Britannica  or  a  report  of  the 
Psychical  Research  Society  would  be  consider 
ed  an  encumbrance?  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
the  obstacles  placed  in  the  path  of  a  hearer  by 
Pythagoras,  of  the  tests  of  neophytes  by  early 
Church-fathers?" 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  silence.  "You 
have  missed  your  vocation,  Mr.  Heine,"  here 
exclaimed  John  Morgan  with  a  laugh,  "as  a 
lawyer  your  services  would  be  priceless.  You 
first  knocked  me  out,  although  that  was  not 
much  to  your  credit  exactly,  for  a  lawyer  must 
be  familiar  with  the  case  he  represents,  he  must 
know  the  facts  in  the  case  of  his  own  client 
and  in  that  of  his  opponents  and  I  was  woefully 
deficient  in  both  respects,  but  that  my  friend 
Norris,  who  so  kindly  volunteered  to  sustain 
my  cause,  seems  discomfited  and  is  speechless, 
is  a  victory  indeed." 

"I  by  no  means  acknowledge  defeat,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Norris.  "I  might  be  speechless 
from  surprise  at  the  arguments  of  Mr.  Heine, 
whose  ingenuity  and  dexterity  to  get  out  of  a 
difficult  position  I  will  admit,  but  since  when 
does  a  wrestler's  dexterous  escape  from  the 
fatal  hold  proclaim  him  the  victor  in  the 
combat?" 

"I  neither  claim  nor  seek  victory  in  this 
case,"  here  put  in  Mr.  Heine  in  a  very  serious 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          329 

tone  of  voice.  "If  I  should  succeed  in  having 
Mr.  Norris  examine  the  Theosophical  Society 
as  he  has  studied  its  philosophy  I  should  feel 
happy  indeed,  as  a  man  would,  after  a  duty 
well  done  and  as  having  acted  in  accordance 
with  the  favorite  precept  of  our  friend  Miss 
Lenz  which  she  usually  carries  with  her." 

As  Mr.  Heine  said  these  last  words  he  look 
ed  at  Miss  Lenz  and  his  eyes  asked  for  the  pre 
cept.  Miss  Lenz  blushed  slightly  and  then 
without  saying  a  word  she  took  out  of  a  little 
capsule  suspended  on  a  watchchain,  a  little  slip 
of  paper  which  she  handed  to  Mr.  Heine,  who 
read  in  a  soft  voice : 

Have  you  had  a  kindness  shown? 

Pass  it  on; 
'Twas  not  given  to  you  alone, 

Pass  it  on. 

Let  it  travel  down  the  years, 
Let  it  wipe  another's  tears, 
Till  in  heaven  the  deed  appears — 

Pass  it  on. 
Have  you   found  the  heavenly  light? 

Pass  it  on; 
Souls  are  groping  in  the  night, 

Daylight  gone. 

Hold  thy  lighted  lamp  on  high, 
Be  a  star  in  some  one's  sky, 
He  may  live  who  else  would  die, — 

Pass  it  on. 

The  period  of  profound  silence  which  en 
sued  was  broken  by  Mr.  Morgan  who  said  look 
ing  at  Mr.  Norris.  "I  propose,  Will,  that  we 
follow  the  example  of  our  ladies  and  apply  for 
membership  in  the  Theosophical  Society.  There 


330  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

is  nothing   to    lose    and    possibly    something    to 
gain." 

"I   will   think   it   over,"   was   the   answer  of 
William  Norris. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GREENVALE 

"Do  you  know  of  a  nice  summer  resort,  Miss 
Lenz,  where  we  might  spend  a  few  weeks?" 
asked  Mrs.  Lawson  one  morning. 

"I  know  an  ideal  place  where  I  spent  the 
summer  five  years  ago." 

"If  the  place  is  ideal  how  is  it  that  for  four 
years  its  attraction  was  in  abeyance?"  asked 
Miss  De  Ruiz. 

Miss  Lenz  for  a  few  seconds  was  silent  and 
then  said  calmly:  "People  who  have  to  work 
for  a  living  cannot  always  follow  inclinations." 

"Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,"  exclaimed  Miss  De 
Ruiz. 

"Can  you  give  us  a  description  of  the  place?" 
then  asked  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"The  place  is  about  seventy  miles  from  Bos 
ton  and  is  called  Greenvale.  There  is  some 
kind  of  a  connection  between  it  and  the  Meta 
physical  Club,  where  one  can  get  a  prospectus 
and  other  general  information." 

"Greenvale,  the  name  sounds  well,"  said 
Mrs.  Lawson  musingly,  "and  the  connection 
with  the  Metaphysical  Club  seems  also  a  fav 
orable  augur}'-." 

"Mr.  Heine  was  there  last  year,  he  can  give 
information  of  a  more  recent  date,"  observed 
Miss  Lenz. 


332  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

When  about  an  hour  later  Mrs.  Lawson  and 
Miss  De  Ruiz  looked  over  the  prospectus  of 
Greenvale  the  surprise  was  great  indeed.  To 
gether  with  the  register  of  hotels,  some  with 
classic  others  with  rustic  names,  there  was 
given  a  list  of  lectures  and  lecturers  that  re 
minded  them  of  Huntington  Chambers  on  a 
Sunday  afternoon.  A  Brahmin  from  India,  a 
Magi  from  Persia,  a  Lama  from  Tibet,  a  Rabbi 
from  Jerusalem  alongside  of  a  professor  of 
Harvard  and  a  lady  teacher  of  Wellesley  Col 
lege  were  to  lecture  on  alternate  evenings,  and 
there  was  a  musical  program  which  in  range 
and  diversity  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 

"I  was  thinking  of  selecting  a  quiet  country 
place,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Lawson  looking  at  Miss 
Lenz. 

"You  will  not  be  disappointed  with  Green- 
vale  if  you  look  for  quietude,"  answered  that 
young  lady,  "and  as  far  as  the  lectures  are  con 
cerned,  they  are  as  free  to  be  disregarded  as  to 
be  attended.  But  let  me  look  at  the  date  on  this 
program?" 

Mrs.  Lawson  looked  herself  and  in  a  tone  of 
astonishment  she  exclaimed:  "This  prospectus 
is  six  years  old." 

"I  suspected  somehing  like  that,"  then  said 
Miss  Lenz.  "I  supose  this  is  what  Mr.  Heine 
would  call  their  best  bill  of  fare.  The  wear  of 
time  has  affected  the  menu  considerably  since 
this  prospectus  was  printed." 

"I  am  really  curious  to  see  this  place,"  put  in 
Miss  De  Ruiz. 

"I  am  sure  that  you  will  like  it,"  responded 
Miss  Lenz  somewhat  eagerly. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  333 

"I  think  you  would  like  to  go  there  yourself 
Miss  Lenz,"  then  said  Mrs.  Lawson  smiling. 

^"1  certainly  would,"  was  the  quiet  answer. 
"Some  friends  are  going  and  I  expect  to  meet 
again  some  people  I  met  five  years  ago,  but  if 
I  did  not  think  you  would  like  the  place  also  I 
should  not  recommend  it. 

"I  never  doubted  that  in  the  least,"  was  the 
reassuring  answer  of  Mrs.  Lawson. 

"The  place  is  only  a  short  distance  from  Bos 
ton  and  we  need  not  stay  if  it  does  not  suit. 
Let  us  ask  Mr.  Morgan  and  Mr.  Norris  and  if 
they  have  no  objection  let  us  go  there." 

A  visit  to  Greenvale  was  satisfactory  to  Mr. 
Morgan  and  Mr.  Norris  and  a  peculiar  smile 
was  visible  on  the  lips  of  Mr.  Heine  when  he 
heard  of  the  project. 

"Greenvale  would  be  a  fine  place  for  our 
final  symposium,"  he  suggested  to  Mrs.  Law- 
son. 

"Would  the  other  champions  be  satisfied?" 
she  asked. 

"I  think  so,"  was  the  answer. 

"Will  you  attend  to  the  necessary  arrange 
ments?" 

"With  pleasure." 

When  a  few  days  later  on  their  train  to 
Greenvale  Mr.  Heine  was  asked  for  further 
information  about  the  place,  this  gentleman 
said  slowly:  "Greenvale  is  no  longer  what  it 
was  ten  years  ago.  For  it  also  holds  good  the 
saying  'How  the  mighty  have  fallen',"  but  notic 
ing  a  look  of  apprehension  in  the  faces  of  his 
fair  listeners  he  continued,  "it  is  still  good  for 
our  purpose,  it  offers  a  quiet  retreat  with  a 
beautiful  scenery,  a  salutary  climate  and  fair 


334  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

hotel  facilities.  In  fact  it  is  still  an  ideal  place 
for  reflection  and  meditation,  but  something 
there  has  fled." 

"I  think  you  had  better  stop  your  mysterious 
hints  and  give  us  facts  instead,"  interposed  here 
Mr.  Morgan  with  a  smile  that  softened  his 
words. 

"All  right,"  said  Mr.  Heine,  "I'll  do  my  best." 
He  then  continued:  "Greenvale  was  founded 
about  twenty  years  ago  by  a  certain  woman 
named  Miss  Palmer.  She  is  one  of  the  few 
good  souls  who  are  ready  to  work  and  make 
sacrifice  for  humanity,  and  she  is  I  think,  a  fair 
example  of  Schiller's  ideal  when  he  sings: 
Ehret  die  Frauen,  sie  flechten  und  weben 

Himmlische  Rosen  ins  irdische  Leben. 

"Can  you  give  us  a  translation?"  asked  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

"I  can  furnish  my  own,  not  quite  literal. 

"Honor  the  women,  they  bring  and  bestow 

Roses   from  Heaven  to  this  world  below/  '' 

Mr.  Heine  then  kept  on.  "Miss  Palmer  in 
tended  to  make  Greenvale  a  haven  of  rest  in 
the  country  for  the  weary  and  heavy  laden  of 
the  city.  Spiritual  and  philosophical  food  was 
to  supplement  kind  nature's  profusive  gifts, 
and  the  place  did  become  an  oasis  for  many  a 
weary  wanderer,  but  the  sand  of  the  desert  is 
slowly  encroaching  on  the  confines  of  this 
oasis,  and  a  Simoon  is  dimly  visible  on  the  dis 
tant  horizon." 

"I  admire  your  figures  of  speech,  Mr. 
Heine,"  put  in  again  Mr.  Morgan,  slightly  im 
patient  at  Mr.  Heine's  self-satisfied  air  and 
oratory,  "but  flowery  language  means  often  loss 
of  time  and  effort  wasted." 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          335 

"You  will  pardon  me,  Mr.  Morgan,  if  I  will 
quote  against  you  a  great  sage.  'A  wise  man 
is  never  in  a  hurry',  and  refer  to  the  Neapoli 
tan  lazarone's  dolce  far  niente  as  not  without 
its  merits." 

"Be  that  as  it  may,"  answered  Mr.  Morgan, 
"but  I  think  you  still  owe  us  an  explanation  of 
the  elevation  of  the  foundress  of  Greenvale  to 
your  Schiller's  ideal  and  how  a  sandstorm  is 
threatening  her  oasis." 

"Everything  will  come  in  due  season,"  re- 
remarked  Mr.  Heine  unperturbed,  "and  from 
now  on  I  will  stick  to  my  subject.  Miss  Pal 
mer  founded  Greenvale  in  the  year  1886  for 
the  purpose  of  offering  Greenvale  to  city  peo 
ple  as  a  retreat  for  the  summer.  Her  inten 
tion  was  to  attract  people  with  high  mental  and 
spiritual  aspirations.  A  philanthropic  and  half 
communistic  tone  was  audible  in  the  first 
announcement  and  the  fame  of  Greenvale 
and  its  attractions  were  heralded  all  over 
the  country  and  the  place  soon  became  a 
rendezvous  for  the  elite  in  the  spiritual  and 
Metaphysical  realms.  But  pihlanthropy  costs 
money,"  continued  Mr.  Heine  sadly,  "and  on 
the  other  hand  it  often  happens  that  unscrupu 
lous  and  unworthy  leeches  take  advantage  of 
those  whose  philanthropy  does  not  stop  there. 
Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Miss  Palmer,  in  due 
course  of  time,  expended  her  entire  fortune, 
which  I  am  told  was  considerable,  for  the  pre 
servation  of  Greenvale,  and  "miserabile  dictu," 
as  Virgil  would  say,  lost  physical  and  mental 
health  in  the  attempt  to  create  a  spot  free  from 
care  and  worry  in  a  world  of  strife  and  trouble, 
and  but  for  the  happy  death  of  a  lover  of  Green- 


336  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

vale,  who  bequeathed  to  that  place  the  sum  of 
ten  thousand  dollars,  its  hospitable  gates  would 
be  closed  today,  but  speaking  again  with  Virgil, 
mirabillissime  dictu,  there  are  today  two  fac 
tions  fighting,  and  I  am  told  not  always  with 
clean  weapons,  for  the  control  of  Greenvale  or 
rather  the  ten  thousand  dollars." 

"This  is  not  a  very  inviting  picture  you  are 
drawing  here,  Mr.  Heine,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Lawson. 

"You  need  not  be  alarmed  or  fear  unplea 
sant  scenes  in  connection  with  this  feud.  There 
will  be  no  outward  appearance  of  struggle  or 
even  disagreement.  The  people  who  sojourn 
at  Greenvale  are  philanthropists,  highly  spirit 
ual  and  polite.  A  Mr.  Anderson,  a  man  of 
over  eighty  years,  a  companion  of  Emerson 
and  Theodore  Parker  and  a  friend  of  Walt 
Whitman  is  the  leader  of  one  faction,  and  Pro 
fessor  Kresser,  instructor  of  pragmatism  in 
Harvard,  whose  fame  is  international,  is  the 
champion  of  the  other  side.  It  will  be  interest 
ing  to  listen  to  words  of  mutual  respect  and 
admiration,  to  protestations  of  utter  disinter 
estedness  while  hearts  or  rather  minds  are 
struggling  for  supremacy,  for  the  possession  of 
very  material  things.  This  reminds  me  of  a 
friend's  very  apt  illustration  given  at  the  New 
Thought  Forum  while  speaking  of  what  he 
calls  church  Christians,  they  cling  he  said  to 
the  cross  with  one  hand  and  reach  out  for  the 
almighty  dollar  with  the  other." 

Arrived  at  Greenvale  our  party  made  a  crit 
ical  examination  of  the  place.  The  site  was 
well  chosen.  Situated  on  the  bank  of  a  beau 
tiful  river,  the  boundary  line  of  two  states  it 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          337 

afforded  a  magnificent  view  of  valley  and  bay. 
Our  visitors  were  well  pleased  with  the  open 
ing  scene. 

"This  place  yonder  is  owned  by  the  Green- 
vale  Society,"  remarked  Heine,  "and  this  build 
ing,"  pointing  to  quite  a  large  structure,  "is 
the  main  hotel,  and  is  operated  by  the  corpora 
tion.  These  here,  pointing  to  a  group  of  small 
buildings,  "are  private,  lodging  and  boarding 
houses  for  the  accomodation  of  visitors  for 
whom  hotel  facilities  are  too  expensive. " 

On  their  way  to  the  hotel  they  passed  a  num 
ber  of  small  tents  and  Mr.  Heine  explained 
that  these  were  rented  to  people  who  preferred 
primitive  country  style.  "These  tents  are  pre 
sided  over  by  a  man  named  Salgud,  a  small 
man,  but  a  great  metaphysician,  one  of  the 
lights  of  the  Boston  Society." 

"The  Theosophical  Society?"  asked  Mr. 
Morgan  jestingly. 

"No  sir,  a  metaphysician's  place  is  in  the 
Metaphysical  Society,"  answered  Mr.  Heine  in 
a  tone  of  protest  against  the  insinuation  of  Mr. 
Morgan. 

The  hotel  accomodations  proved  quite  satis 
factory.  While  the  equipment  and  service  was 
simple  and  inexpensive,  an  air  of  refinement 
and  culture  was  clearly  visible  or  rather  felt. 
Mr.  Heine  and  Miss  Lenz  were  recognized  and 
welcomed  by  several  guests,  who  after  an  intro 
duction  to  our  group  were  found  socially  ac 
ceptable.  Intellectually  these  people  were  above 
the  average,  their  conversation  showed  a  wide 
range  of  information  and  indicated  the  inde 
pendent,  or  as  others  would  have  it,  the  ab 
normal  thinker.  It  was  soon  found  that  the 


338  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

denizens  of  Greenvale  recruited  themselves 
from  all  walks  of  life.  The  so-called  profes 
sional  element  was  strongly  in  evidence,  with 
the  female  element  strongly  in  the  majority. 

"Are  you  going  to  the  lecture  this  morning?" 
asked  Mr.  Heine  the  day  after  their  arrival. 

"We  might  as  well  become  initiated  as  soon 
as  possible/'  suggested  Mr.  Morgan. 

A  little  while  later  our  little  group  of  six 
persons  started  on  their  way  to  the  forum  of 
Greenvale  with  Mr.  Heine  and  Miss  Lenz  in 
their  capacity  as  Cicerones  at  the  head  of  the 
procession.  When  these  two  quite  a  little 
ahead  of  the  others  left  the  beaten  track  and 
entered  what  nearly  seemed  a  primeval  forest, 
Mr.  Morgan  called,  out:  "Where  are  you  go 
ing?"  Mr.  Heine  quickly  turned  around  and 
said  with  an  amused  and  reassuring  smile :  "I 
thought  I  had  prepared  your  mind  sufficiently 
for  the  fact  that  you  must  not  expect  the  or 
dinary  run  of  things  in  anything  appertaining 
to  Greenvale.  Just  follow  your  guides  and 
fear  not,  no  danger  lurks  beneath  these  trees." 

Mr.  Heine  led  the  way  through  some  dense 
underbrush;  with  rare  solicitude  for  his  com 
panion  he  pushed  aside  some  obstructing 
branches  to  ease  the  passage  for  those  follow 
ing.  After  a  little  while  Miss  Lenz  seemed  to 
protest  against  something.  "You  are  going  the 
wrong  way,"  Mrs.  Lawson  thought  she  heard 
her  say  but  Mr.  Heine  seemed  to  have  succeed 
ed  in  quieting  her  fears  and  the  march  contin 
ued.  Soon  a  clearing  appeared  and  they 
found  themselves  at  an  elevated  open  space 
from  which  a  magnificent  view  extended 
across  fields  and  valley  to  the  ocean. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          339 

"Do  you  see  that  group  of  buildings  yon 
der?"  asked  Mr.  Heine  pointing  to  some  dark 
outlines  visible  at  a  distance.  "There  is  one  of 
the  main  dockyards  of  our  country  seen  from 
Greenvale;  these  vessels  of  war  represent  a 
strange  contrast."  After  enjoying  the  scenery 
for  a  few  minutes  they  reassumed  their  march 
and  in  a  short  time  another  open  space  was 
reached  on  which  stood  a  majestic  oak  tree 
whose  wide  branches  gave  cooling  shade  to  a 
large  area.  The  grass  under  this  tree  was 
carefully  kept.  A  few  branches  and  chairs 
were  likewise  in  evidence.  It  seemed  to 
be  a  favorite  place  for  a  rendezvous  in  Green- 
vale.  Here  stood  one  group  engaged  in  ani 
mated  conversation,  at  another  place  one  was 
reading  aloud,  a  few  others  were  lying  in  the 
grass,  some  were  painting  and  drawing,  others 
were  engaged  in  needle  work.  Mr.  Heine  and 
Miss  Lenz  were  recognized  by  several  whose 
introduction  to  our  group  soon  started  an  ani 
mated  conversation.  After  a  few  minutes  so 
journ  under  the  oak  Mr.  Morgan  remarked 
turning  to  Mr.  Heine: 

"This  is  a  lovely  place  indeed,  but  I  thought 
we  had  started  out  to  hear  a  lecture." 

"So  we  have.  Don't  you  consider  this  oak 
tree  a  suitable  shrine  for  the  proclamation  of 
noble  thoughts?" 

Mr.  Morgan  looked  at  Mr.  Heine  to  assure 
himself  that  the  latter  was  serious,  and  after 
having  satisfied  himself  in  that  respect  he  said 
smilingly : 

"Ingenious  indeed,  to  say  the  least." 

Soon  the  groups  came  from  all  directions. 
Most  of  them  seated  themselves  on  the  grass, 


34O  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

others  took  chairs,  while  the  rest  sat  on  the 
benches  that  encircled  the  trunk  of  the  tree. 
Soon  the  speaker  of  the  morning  made  his  ap 
pearance  also.  It  was  a  man  with  oriental 
looks  and  strange  garments.  "Mr.  Ramma- 
hun,"  whispered  Miss  Lenz  to  Mrs.  Lawson. 
The  lecture  was  on  the  Rigveda.  Soon  the  air 
resounded  with  various  Sanskrit  terms  and 
phrases  which  at  first  seemed  strangely  out  of 
place  in  a  New  England  forest.  The  lecturer 
spoke  in  a  strong  foreign  accent,  but  his  words 
were  well  chosen  and  his  diction  good,  indicat 
ing  the  scholar.  The  religion  of  the  Hindu,  the 
oldest  in  the  world,  according  to  the  speaker, 
was  represented  in  a  way  that  made  it  attrac 
tive  and  even  logical.  The  God  Indra  once 
more  wielded  his  sceptre  in  the  hearts  of  men. 

"I  wonder  how  many  Hindus  would  recog 
nize  their  religion  in  this  scholarly  exposition 
of  their  faith,"  remarked  Mr.  Morgan  in  a  low 
voice. 

"How  many  of  our  so-called  church  Chris 
tians  would  recognize  theirs  in  a  sermon  by 
Theodore  Parker  or  Bishop  Brooks?"  was  the 
quiet  rejoinder  of  William  Norris. 

When  the  lecturer  was  finished  the  members 
of  our  group  shook  hands  with  the  speaker. 
Mrs.  Lawson  would  have  liked  to  have  engag 
ed  him  in  conversation,  but,  as  is  usually  the 
case,  many  of  the  auditors  pressed  around  the 
speaker  and  our  friends  took  their  leave  favor 
ably  impressed  with  the  strange  scene  under 
the  wide  spreading  oak. 

"A  happy  thought,  I  think,"  remarked  Mr. 
Noris,  "to  use  an  oak  tiee  as  a  forum.  In 
former  times  the  oak  tree  was  for  the  north 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST  341 

what  the  lotus  is  still  in  some  eastern  countries, 
a  special  object  of  veneration.  The  old  Teu 
tons,  the  Viking  fathers,  the  Druids  of  Gaul 
and  Brittany,  chose  the  oak  as  a  place  of  wor 
ship  and  religious  rites,"  continued  Mr.  Nor- 
ris,  "and  we  find  to  this  day  a  remembrance  of 
a  former  faith  in  the  practices  and  ideas  con 
nected  with  the  so-called  mistletoe." 

"Any  occult  significance,  Mr.  Heine?"  ask 
ed  Mr.  Morgan,  in  a  tone  of  voice  not  free 
from  sarcasm. 

"Possibly,  but  remember  Mr.  Morgan,  occult 
things  must  be  found  out  by  every  one  for  him 
self." 

Mr.  Morgan  then  asked  some  questions  about 
the  lecture.  The  word  Devas,  called  the  shining 
Ones,  by  the  lecturer  had  aroused  his  curiosity. 
Miss  Lenz  started  to  explain  when  Mr.  Heine 
interposed. 

"If  you  take  my  advice,"  said  the  latter,  "you 
will  not  try  to  enlighten  Mr.  Morgan  on  these 
subjects  without  further  preparation  on  his 
part." 

Mr.  Morgan  protested  against  the  interfer 
ence  of  Heine,  but  this  gentleman's  remark  had 
done  its  work,  for  Miss  Lenz  refused  to  enter 
into  a  discussion  on  the  Rigveda.  By  this  time 
they  had  reached  the  outskirts  of  Greenvale. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this?"  asked  Mr. 
Morgan  laughing.  "The  way  back  seems  to  be 
so  much  shorter  than  the  way  going. 

"The  shortest  way  is  not  always  the  best," 
declared  Mr.  Heine,  "and  then  I  felt  a  desire 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  a  navy  yard  before  ap 
proaching  the  'sacred  oak/  " 


342  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

There  was  another  lecture  announced  for 
the  evening,  but  Mrs.  Lawson  thought  it  best 
to  take  a  rest  and  attend  to  some  correspon 
dence.  When  Miss  Lenz  gave  this  information 
to  Mr.  Heine,  this  gentleman  approached  Mr. 
Morgan  and  said:  "You  better  not  miss  this 
evening's  lecture.  I  expect  to  see  the  first 
skirmish  for  the  control  of  the  legacy  I  had 
mentioned  on  the  train."  Mr.  Morgan  suc 
ceeded  in  having  Mrs.  Lawson  change  her 
mind,  for  later  on  our  group  of  six  was  again 
seen  on  its  way  to  the  "sacred  oak".  Profes 
sor  Kresser  from  Harvard  was  introduced  as 
the  speaker.  He  was  a  man  of  distinguished 
appearance  with  an  unmistakable  air  of  be 
nevolence.  His  address,  in  striking  contrast  to 
the  topic  of  the  morning,  was  on  Pragmatism, 
the  world's  newest  philosophy.  The  professor 
gave  a  brilliant  exposition  of  the  useful  and 
the  practical,  interspersed  with  pleas  for  un 
selfishness,  for  altruism  and  for  renunciation. 
After  he  had  finished  he  announced  a  business 
meeting  to  be  held  at  the  hotel,  which  all  char 
tered  members  were  earnestly  requested  to  at 
tend  as  matters  of  importance  were  awaiting 
their  decision.  Hardly  had  he  finished  when  a 
tall  figure  bent  with  the  weight  of  many  years 
arose  and  asked  for  a  hearing.  The  demeanor 
of  this  gentleman  was  very  self-confident  and 
assured.  A  mass  of  white  hair  surounded  his 
kindly  face.  "Mr.  Anderson,"  remarked  Mr. 
Heine  to  Mr.  Morgan.  Mr.  Anderson  at  first 
paid  his  compliments  to  the  lecturer  for  the 
scholarly  exposition  of  his  philosophy  and  ex 
pressed  his  sincere  belief  in  his  altruistic 
motives,  but  he  finished  making  a  strong  pro- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          343 

test  against  the  proposed  meeting  as  opposed 
to  the  wishes  and  the  interest  of  Miss  Palmer 
"our  beloved  patron,  whose  guests  we  are." 
When  Mr.  Anderson  had  finished,  the  professor 
arose  in  his  turn  and  after  spending  several 
minutes  in  the  eulogy  of  the  "venerable  sage 
who  had  had  the  privilege  of  the  companion 
ship  of  America's  greatest  teachers,"  he  as 
sured  the  audience  once  more  of  his  good  in 
tentions  and  disinterested  motives,  and  pro 
fessed  in  the  strongest  terms  his  loyalty, 
"to  our  beloved  and  esteemed  benefactress 
Miss  Palmer,  whose  present  condition  is  pre 
venting  her  from  giving  directions,  something 
which  we  all  deeply  deplore."  And  again  rose 
the  tall  figure,  and  repeated  once  more  his  sol 
emn  assurance  of  friendship  and  regard  for  the 
professor.  He  declared  to  be  absolutely  free  of 
doubt  as  to  the  latter's  altruistic  motives,  but 
he  reiterated  most  emphatically  his  former 
statement  that  the  proposed  meeting  of  mem 
bers  was  not  called  in  the  interest  of  Miss  Pal 
mer,  whereupon  the  professor  arose  again  and 
after  some  more  complimentary  references  to 
the  sage  repeated  his  invitation  to  the  meeting. 
By  this  time  some  of  the  people  had  begun 
to  disperse,  some  going  into  the  forest,  others 
towards  the  river,  while  still  others  scattered 
in  groups  to  discuss  the  proposed  meeting  and 
speculate  on  its  subject.  Mr.  Anderson  and  the 
professor  were  seen  to  shake  hands,  when  to 
the  surprise  of  our  group,  Mr.  Heine  was  seen 
approaching  the  two  speakers  and  his  cordial 
hallo  professor,  hallo  Mr.  Anderson  was  dis 
tinctly  heard  and  seemed  to  receive  a  friendly 
response.  Mr.  Heine  remained  a  few  minutes 


344  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

in  what  seemed  an  animated  conversation  and 
; '-'turning  to  his  friends  he  offered  to  introduce 
them  to  the  "sage  and  prof".  Mrs.  Lawson 
looked  at  Miss  De  Ruiz,  where  she  must  have 
met  a  certain  indifference  if  not  unwillingness, 
for  she  remarked  to  Heine,  "we  better  wait  for 
another  time."  On  their  way  home  Mr.  Heine 
told  of  his  interview  with  the  two  "heroes"  of 
the  evening,  "and"  continued  he  in  a  thought 
ful  voice,  "I  must  confess  that  I  was  mistaken, 
and  I  might  say  agreeably  surprised  about  Pro 
fessor  Kresser  and  Mr.  Anderson.  Their  hon 
esty  and  high  mutual  regard  is  not  only  nominal 
but  real.  They  favor  different  routes  ,each 
one  aspires  to  leadership,  but  there  is,  I  believe, 
no,  or  at  least  no  conscious,  selfseeking  in 
their  actions." 

"I  am  pleased  to  hear  you  say  so,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Lawson.  "Miss  De  Ruiz  and  I  had  been 
considering  the  advisability  of  giving  financial 
assistance  to  Greenvale,  but  your  hint  at  dis 
cord  had  been  a  negative  factor." 

"I  could  not  imagine  a  better  purpose,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Heine.  "The  place  has  done  and  is 
doing  good,  and  it  would  be  a  cause  of  i egret 
and  I  am  tempted  to  say  shame  in  those  who 
have  enjoyed  its  benefits  to  allow  the  ideal  of 
Miss  Palmer  to  come  to  naught  for  lack  of 
support.  The  best  thing  I  think  would  be  an 
annual  endowment  with  provisions  for  its  use." 

"Advice  of  provision  indicates  doubts  after 
all  as  to  the  high  motives  of  'prof,  and  sage/  " 
observed  Mr.  Morgan  with  a  smile. 

"No,  not  at  all,"  protested  Mr.  Heine,  "but 
we  must  not  forget  that  there  are  others."  The 
'prof,  and  sage'  are  spokesmen  only  and 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          345 

to  some  extent  mere  figure  heads,  and  we  have 
no  guarantee  of  an  equally  lofty  attitude  in  those 
whom  they  represent.  The  Socialists  have  a 
phrase  called  economic  determinism  and  it  is 
always  advisable  to  make  provisions  against 
manifestations  of  that  principle,"  concluded 
Mr.  Heine. 

"Financial  advantage  is  a  good  translation 
of  economic  determinism,"  observed  Mr.  Nor- 
ris  in  answer  to  an  inquiring  look  of  Miss  De 
Ruiz. 

When  they  arrived  at  their  hotel  they  were 
pleased  to  meet  Miss  Winslow,  our  champion 
of  Metaphysics,  who,  as  was  her  custom,  had 
come  to  spend  the  summer  in  Greenvale.  "I 
met  Mr.  Hugo  at  the  library  yesterday,"  re 
marked  Miss  Winslow  later,  "and  he  told  me 
he  would  come  soon  with  his  family." 

"Mr.  Hugo  is  the  champion  of  Capitalism/' 
explained  Miss  De  Ruiz  to  Mr.  Norris. 

"Has  anything  been  heard  of  Mr.  Swift?" 
asked  Mrs.  Lawson  looking  at  Mr.  Heine. 

"Nothing  new,  but  he  will  be  here  in  time." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

QUIDQUID   EST,    BONUM    EST 

Mrs.  Lawson  and  Mr.  Morgan,  Miss  De 
Ruiz  and  Mr.  Norris  as  likewise  our  friends 
Miss  Lenz  and  Mr.  Heine,  sometimes  in  coup 
les,  sometimes  all  six  together  spent  many  hap 
py  hours  in  the  walks  and  woods  of  Greenvale 
on  the  banks  of  its  beautiful  river,  in  the  shade 
of  its  wide  spreading  oaks.  Mrs.  Lawson  and 
Mr.  Morgan  had  much  to  tell  one  another, 
they  were  happy  in  recognizing  their  absolute 
mutual  confidence  and  kinship  and  their  love 
needed  no  outward  forms  of  demonstration. 
When  Mrs.  Lawson  spoke  of  her  useless  efforts 
in  behalf  of  the  poor  and  unfortunate  and  de 
nounced  the  indifference  and  hostility  of  the 
constituted  authorities  and  the  politicians,  Mr. 
Morgan  tried  to  present  a  different  view  point. 
He  agreed  that  there  was  much  room  for  much 
needed  improvements  but  he  argued,  "the  peo 
ple  with  whom  you  find  fault  would  often  like 
to  do  different,  but  one  man  presses  upon  the 
other",  and  repeating  his  favorite  maxim,  "we 
are  all  more  pushed  than  we  are  pushing," 
he  concluded,  "Thackeray's  'Vanity  Fair'  re 
minds  me  of  a  throng  of  men  pushed  forward 
from  behind  by  succeeding  masses  rendering 
the  individual,  powerless  against  the  pressure, 
and  then  there  is  the  illustration  of  Plato's  cave 

346 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          347 

in  the  Republic  written  about  two  thousand  five 
hundred  years  ago  and  the  picture  given  then 
holds  good  today  and  along  with  Cervantes 
'Don  Quixote',  furnishes  a  useful  lesson  to  the 
thinker.  All  what  we  can  do,"  concluded  Mr. 
Morgan,  "is  to  align  ourselves  with  those  that 
work  for  progress  and  give  them  our  moral 
and  material  support,  and  be  considerate 
towards  those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact." 

Mrs.  Lawson  tried  to  argue  against  this  posi 
tion,  her  impulse  to  improve  the  world  had  not 
yet  spent  itself.  She  had  several  ideas  of  re 
form  which  to  her  seemed  practicable. 

"I  shall  give  all  the  help  and  advice  I  can. 
your  wealth  can  dry  many  a  tear  and  as  I  hope 
bring  blessings  to  you  and  yours,"  then  seeing 
the  surprised  look  of  Mrs.  Lawson  at  this  re 
mark  Morgan  continued  in  a  soft  voice.  "I  am 
becoming  less  and  less  of  an  agnostic,  and  see, 
or  think  I  see,  which  is  the  same  thing,  the  kind 
hand  of  Providence  in  many  things  which  be 
fore  seemed  accidental  or  even  wrong.  When 
I  reflect  over  the  course  recent  events  have 
taken,  when  I  think  of  your  and  my  fortune,  of 
that  of  our  Miss  De  Ruiz  and  Mr.  Norris  ; 
when  I  se  how  seeming  misfortune  was  turned 
into  its  opposite,  methinks  I  recognize  a  guid 
ing  star  somehow,  somewhere." 

Mrs.  Lawson  at  these  words  took  the  hand 
of  her  friend,  a  tear  came  into  her  eyes,  whether 
in  sadness,  in  remembrance  of  former  suffer 
ing,  or  in  happy  grateful  recognition,  of  kind 
destiny's  wonderful  ways  I  leave  to  the  reader 
for  decision. 

Miss  De  Ruiz  on  her  part  had  become  trust 
ful,  her  sad  experience  had  taught  her  the 


348  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

value  of  a  firm  friend  and  adviser  and  the  self- 
confident  nature  of  Mr.  Norris  was  made  happy 
through  it  stability  to  supply  the  need.  Any 
one  who  would  have  taken  the  trouble  to  ob 
serve  the  two  couples  on  their  walks  would 
have  had  little  difficulty  to  interpret  their  re 
lations,  but  when  they  look  now  at  the  actions 
of  Mr.  Heine  and  Miss  Lenz  most  of  them 
would  be  led  to  wrong  conclusions,  brother 
and  sister,  most  people  would  have  judged. 
The  subject  of  their  conversation  would  have 
been  a  mystery  to  most  auditors  and  would  be 
to  you,  dear  reader.  They  discoursed  of  the  oc 
cult  and  the  mystical,  they  considered  the 
means  to  hasten  their  own  evolution,  to  make 
themseves  better  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
their  Masters  for  the  service  of  the  race.  But 
was  our  friend  Heine  always  satisfied  with  such 
completely  platonic  vistas?  was  there  not  some 
times  a  yearning  in  his  eye,  a  longing  look  for 
a  more  tangible  manifestation  of  his  compan 
ion's  affection?  This  might  have  been  so,  but 
whenever  such  signs  became  manifest  a  mild 
denial,  a  soft  look  of  reproof  was  all  that  was 
necessary  to  instill  a  serene  resignation. 

Freedom  from  desire  is  the  pinnacle  of  hu 
man  happiness  and  achievement.  Will  our 
friend  reach  this  summit?  Guided  by  the  mag 
netic  hand  of  his  friend  he  thinks  he  will,  but 
many  others  before  him  have  dreamed  a  similar 
dream.  Miss  Lenz  has  moments  of  doubts, 
but  she  trust  and  hopes.  She  is  so  sure  of  her 
self  that  sometimes  she  wonders  at  herself  be 
ing  so  different  from  others,  especially  when 
she  witnesses  the  moral  struggles  of  others  or 
hears  them  discussed  by  her  friends. 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          349 

Do  happy  days  pass  more  quickly  than  sor 
rowful  ones,  or  is  it  a  trick  of  our  imagination 
that  makes  us  think  so?  Is  not  time  longer  in 
reality  during  youth,  and  is  becoming  shorter 
with  advancing  years?  Time  exists  not,  teach 
es  the  philosopher,  it  is  the  product  of  the  hu 
man  mind  and  imagination.  If  this  is  so,  the 
seeming  greater  length  of  time,  although  imag 
inary,  might  be  as  fundamentally  real  as  time 
itself.  Be  this  as  it  may,  time  has  passed  quick 
ly  for  our  three  couples  and  the  day  set  for  the 
final  symposium  was  at  hand.  Mr.  Hugo  had 
come  as  announced  by  Miss  Winslow  with  a 
pleasant  wife  and  three  lovely  children,  but  the 
family  seemed  self-sufficient,  and  while  its 
members  were  friendly  and  cordial  to  all,  they 
did  not  mix  much  with  the  others.  Mr.  Swift 
made  his  appearance  on  the  morning  of  the 
day  appointed  and  had  good  reasons  to  be  sat 
isfied  with  his  reception. 

"I  suppose  you  and  Miss  Lenz  selected 
Greenvale  for  the  final  battle  ground?"  Mf. 
Swift  said  to  Mr.  Heine  after  they  had  shaken 
hands. 

"I  think  we  were  and  still  are  pleased  with 
its  selection,"  answered  this  gentleman,  "and 
you  ought  to  be.  Enjoy  the  world  Mr.  Swift," 
he  then  continued,  look  at  life  from  a  more 
rosy  view  point.  When  we  are  happy  ourselves 
it  is  easier  to  make  others  happy  and  that  is 
what  we  are  aiming  to  do  after  all." 

Mr.  Swift  looked  at  his  friend  Heine,  sur 
prise  and  amazement  was  clearly  written  on  the 
pale  features  of  Anarchy's  gloomy  champion. 

"What  a  change  has  come  over  my  Socialist 
friend."  He  then  exclaimed  not  without  a 


350  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

strong  touch  of  mockery  and  reproach,  "I  hope 
you  will  pardon  me  when  I  express  the  thought 
that  five  thousand  dollars  a  year  furnish  beau 
tifully  colored  eyeglasses  through  which  even 
a  desolate  landscape  will  seem  charming." 

"And  might  there  not  be  something  else  that 
would  furnish  still  better  material  for  such 
lenses  as  you  think  exist,  but  you  are  unjust 
Mr.  Swift,  I  am  what  I  was.  My  improved 
status  has  neither  altered  my  view-points  nor 
weakened  the  zeal  for  my  ideals,  only  I  am  try 
ing  to  be  content  and  serene  myself  while  work 
ing  for  conditions  that  will  make  individual 
happiness  less  of  a  struggle." 

Mr.  Heine  was  undoubtedly  sincere  in  what 
he  said,  he  still  felt  himself  the  same,  he  still 
had  the  same  views  on  politics  and  on  political 
economy,  but  might  not,  notwithstanding 
Heine's  declaration  to  the  contrary,  the  five- 
thousand  dollar  yearly  income  have  been  a 
modifying  factor  in  his  mental  state? 

The  ground  under  the  sacred  oak  was  the 
place  chosen  for  the  final  symposium,  and  on 
the  appointed  evening  we  see  our  old  friends, 
their  number  increased  by  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Morgan,  Mr.  Norris  and  Mrs.  Hugo,  make 
their  way  to  the  woods  of  Greenvale.  The  air 
is  soft  and  balmy.  From  the  valley  below 
came  the  aroma  of  many  flowers  and  the  scent 
of  new  mewn  hay.  The  moon  was  full  and  its 
silvery  light  flooded  the  dark  green  landscape. 
The  woods  were  still,  busy  nature  seemed  to 
have  gone  to  rest  to  gather  strength  for  the 
next  day's  work.  The  members  of  our  group 
spoke  but  little,  each  seemed  busy  with  his  or 
her  own  thoughts.  When  the  oak  was  reached 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          351 

some  took  their  seats  on  the  benches  and  chairs, 
others  like  Mr.  Heine,  threw  themselves  on  the 
ground.  Mr.  Morgan  and  Mr.  Norris  kept  to 
gether  awaiting  with  some  curiosity  the  things 
that  were  to  be.  There  being  no  definite  ar 
rangement  or  program  a  certain  hesitation 
soon  made  itself  felt.  When  Mrs.  Lawson 
met  the  eye  of  Mr.  Heine  with  an  inquiring 
look  this  gentleman  understood  as  he  cried  out, 
"Order  of  business,  comrades.  I  think  the  first 
point  of  our  program,"  he  continued  "ought  to 
be  the  election  of  a  chairman  and  I  suggest  Mr. 
John  B.  Morgan." 

When  all  eyes  were  turned  in  his  direction 
Morgan  arose  and  said  slowly:  "I  had  come  to 
be  an  auditor  and  a  spectator  but  I  am  willing, 
as  a  practical  politician  ought  to  be  to  immo 
late  myself  on  the  altar  for  my  country,  friends 
and  associates,"  he  concluded  with  a  smile. 

"All  in  favor  of  Mr.  Morgan  as  chairman," 
then  cried  out  Mr.  Heine,  "will  say  aye,"  There 
was  a  hearty  response.  "Those  opposed,  no." 
No  sound.  And  thus  John  Morgan  was 
duly  elected  chairman  of  this  unique  assembly. 
He  placed  his  chair  near  the  tree  and  the  others 
sat  around  in  a  kind  of  a  semi-circle.  "What 
is  the  order  of  business?"  he  then  asked. 
"While  I  am  accustomed  to  play  chairman  I 
feel  myself  in  a  strange  position  this  time." 

"I  suggest,"  said  Mr.  Heine  as  he  arose 
"that  speakers  follow  the  order  of  the  last  sym 
posium." 

"I  suggest  the  contrary,"  cried  out  Metaphy 
sics'  doughty  champion.  "I  propose  that  the 
order  be  reversed  as  we  decided  once  before. 
Turn  about  is  fair  play  I  think." 


352  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

Mr.  Swift  seconded  probably  for  the  first 
and  last  time  of  his  life,  the  suggestion  of  a 
capitalistic  metaphysician  and  having  made  a 
motion  in  parlimentary  style  to  that  effect,  was 
unanimously  supported.  Thus  it  was  decreed 
that  the  first  inning  belonged  to  Socialism,  and 
its  champion  slowly  arose.  A  certain  hesita 
tion,  so  different  from  his  usual  attitude  was 
clearly  visible,  but  he  quickly  regained  his 
calmness  and  self-confident  manner  as  he  faced 
his  small  but  select  audience.  , 

"I  had  not  expected  to  be  called  upon  as  first 
speaker,"  he  began,  "and  I  fear  that  some  of 
you  will  be  disappointed  with  my  discourse.  To 
begin  with,  I  wish  to  say  this :  I  have  done  a 
good  deal  of  thinking  and  a  good  deal  of  read 
ing  within  the  last  three  months,  and  I  suppose 
the  other  champions  have  also ;  and  I  had  ar 
ranged  in  my  mind  the  speech  which  I  was 
going  to  make  when  my  turn  would  come,  only 
I  didn't  forsee  that  I  would  have  to  begin  the 
session  and  had  hoped  to  finish  the  symposium. 
The  opposite  arrangement  does  in  no  wise  af 
fect  my  mental  attitude.  My  speech  will  be 
short.  I  only  wish  to  say  this :  I  have  read 
carefully  the  selections  of  the  various  cham 
pions,  but  it  is  not  so  much  the  reading  of  these 
books  but  a  careful  examination  of  self  and  my 
own  doctrines  that  I  have  come  to  what  might 
to  some  seem  a  strange  conclusion;  Each  one 
of  us  here  acting  in  the  right  spirit  might  do  the 
most  useful  work  in  that  society  where  our 
sphere  of  influence  extends  the  furthest  where 
kind  providence  has  placed  us.  Hugo,  by  ex 
ercising  his  influence  in  the  direction  of  mod 
eration  with  his  friends  might  be  a  stronger 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          353 

factor  for  good  than  he  could  possible  be  by 
joining  the  ranks  of  the  Socialists,  and  our  es 
teemed  Metaphysician,  by  calling  man's  atten 
tion  to  mental  heights  performs  a  more  useful 
task  than  by  joining  those,  already  too  numer 
ous  who  are  engrossed  in  the  material ;  and 
our  friend,  the  Anarchist,  he  also  contributes 
a  very  useful  share,"  Mr.  Heine  continued  with 
a  smile  looking  at  Mr.  Swift.  "In  our  study 
of  life  for  the  progress  of  the  race  we  can  no 
more  spare  the  shadow  than  the  light.  Suffer 
ing  and  pain  are  often  more  useful  than  joy 
and  pleasure." 

"I  object,"  here  exclaimed  Mr.  Swift. 

"Order,"  cried  Mr.  Morgan  in  a  quiet,  but 
firm  voice  indicating  the  experienced  chair 
man. 

"Friend  Swift,  I  apologize  if  my  words  were 
offensive,"  continued  Mr.  Heine.  "They  were 
certainly  not  intended  that  way.  Far  be  it  from 
me  to  designate  Anarchy  and  its  honorable 
champion  with  the  words  shadow,  pain,  and 
suffering,  as  I  fear  he  has  understood.  Why  can 
not  our  viewpoints  be  in  their  turn  light  and 
shadows?  Does  not  ancient  as  well  as  modern 
philosophy  teach  us  that  all  is  changing,  but  I 
have  spoken  already  longer  than  I  had  intend 
ed.  Our  symposium  had  for  its  object  to  find 
the  best  road  that  would  lead  into  the  kingdom 
of  Freedom  and  Brotherhood,  and  I  propose 
that  each  one,  while  keeping  on  his  own  road 
gradually  direct  his  steps  towards  the  others  in 
search  for  a  common  goal." 

With  these  words  Mr.  Heine  made  his  bow 
and  resumed  his  seat.  For  a  minute  there  was 
silence,  then  Mr.  Swift  arose,  he  seemed  a 


354  A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST 

little  vexed  but  a  look  at  Mr.  Heine  had  a  soft 
ening  effect. 

"I  had  intended  to  call  our  friend  Heine  a 
quitter  and  a  turncoat,"  he  then  said,  "but  after 
a  second  reflection  I  will  say  that  we  all  act  in 
accordance  with  our  nature  and  that  altered 
conditions  necessarily  have  their  effect." 

"I  have  given  you  my  answer  to  this  insinu 
ation  or  rather  inference,"  softly  said  Mr. 
Heine  as  he  extended  his  hand  to  his  friend  the 
Anarchist.  The  latter  for  a  second  hesitated 
then  he  quietly  took  the  proffered  hand  and 
both  resumed  their  seats  on  the  grass. 

Again  there  was  silence.  "What  next?" 
came  the  voice  of  Mr.  Morgan  when  Miss 
W'inslow  arose. 

"I  had  hoped,"  began  the  Metaphysician,  "to 
say  a  few  words  in  reply  to  something  Mr. 
Heine  said  in  our  last  symposium,  but  his  own 
words  have  made  mine  unnecessary,  and  I  am 
well  pleased  with  the  new  position  and  I 
heartily  endorse  the  proposition  of  our  Socialist 
friend." 

Mr.  Hugo  then  took  the  floor.  "I  wish  to 
say  this,"  declared  Capital's  proud  champion : 
"Better  acquaintance  will  remove  misunder 
standing.  W'hat  we  know,  we  cease  to  fear 
and  hate.  I  also  accept  the  recommendation  of 
Mr.  Heine." 

"All  others  have  spoken,"  put  in  Mrs.  Law- 
son  after  Mr.  Hugo  had  taken  his  seat  as  she 
looked  smilingly  at  Miss  Lenz.  "Will  you  not, 
Miss  Lenz,  declare  your  attitude  also?" 

"I  should  hardly  need  to  express  myself," 
said  Theosophy's  champion  calmly  as  she  arose 
from  her  seat.  "My  aim  is  to  teach  peace  with- 


A  TALE  OF  WEST  AND  EAST          355 

in  and  point  out  its  blessing  to  others,  and  con 
sequently  I  am  well  pleased  with  the  proposi 
tion  of  Mr.  Heine." 

"Since  this  has  turned  out  a  love  feast,"  now 
declared  Mr.  Norris  "let  us  hold  a  discourse 
on  the  ways  of  our  forefathers  who  held  their 
consultations  and  jubilations  under  just  such  a 
tree  as  tonight  so  kindly  gives  us  shelter." 

'And  not  forget  the  noblest  gift  of  the  Gods, 
their  nectar,  which  rejoices  the  hearts  of 
men,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Hugo  as  he  uncovered  a 
package  containing  various  shining  bottles. 

Mr.  Heine  encountered  the  look  of  Miss 
Lenz  where  an  expression  of  contentment  was 
visible  after  his  eyes  had  given  a  satisfactory 
answer. 

The  spirit  of  love  then  spread  its  wings  over 
our  assembly  and  when  an  hour  afterwards 
our  friends  returned  to  their  hotel  the  world 
seemed  good  to  all. 


BREXTANO 
* 

New 


Sc  Stationer-,; 
York 


